PRINCETON,  N.  J. 


5/4^^.. 


■   1 820^1 902  ^ '  ^"'  f'akenham, 

;   Modern  heroes  of  t>, 

fipld        °^   the  missio/ 


MODERN  HEROES  OF  THE  MISSION 
FIELD. 


BY   THE  SAME  AUTHOR. 


HEROES  OF  THE  MISSION  FIELD. 


Contents. — Apostolic  and  Early 
Missions :  The  First  Three  Cen- 
turies—St. Martin  of  Tours — Ul- 
philas.  Apostle  of  the  Goths— St. 
Patrick  and  his  Followers.  —  St. 
Augustine  in  England  -St.  Boniface 
in  Germany — Anschar,  the  Apostle 
of  the  North— Adalbert,  Missionary 
and  Martyr  amongst  the  Sclavonians 


— Otto,  the  Apostle  of  Pomerania — 
Raymund  Lull,  Philosopher,  Mis- 
sionary, Martyr — Francis  Xavier, 
Missionarj'  to  the  Indies  and  Japan 
— Eliot,  the  Apostle  of  the  Red 
Indians — Hans  Egede,  the  Apostle 
of  Greenland — Christian  Frederic 
Schwartz. 


LONDON : 

HODDER  &  STOUGHTON,  27,  PATERNOSTER  ROW. 


MODERN    HEROES 


MISSION     FIELD 


BY   THE    RIGHT    REV. 

W.    PAKENHAM  *^ALSH,    D.D., 

Bislwp  o/Ossory,  Ferns  aatd  Leighlin, 

AUTHOR   OF    "heroes   OF    THE   MISSION    FIELD,"    "tHE    MOABITE   STONE,"   ETC. 


T.   WHITTAKER,    2,    BIBLE   HOUSE. 


MDCCCLXXXII, 


Hazell,  Watson,  and  Viney,  Printers,  London  and  Aylesbury. 


TO 

THE    YOUNG    MEN 

OF     OUR     DAY     AND     GENERATION,      AND 
MORE   ESPECIALLY 

TO     THE    STUDENTS 

OF   OUR    UNIVERSITIES, 

THIS  VOLUME 

IS    AFFECTIONATELY   INSCRIBED. 


PREFACE. 


In  acceding  to  the  wish  that  I  should 
continue  my  sketches  of  missionary  heroes, 
and  bring  down  the  history  of  missionary 
enterprise  to  our  own  day,  I  have  prescribed 
to  myself  the  same  rule  which  guided  me 
in  the  former  series* — namely,  that  the 
characters  chosen  should  be  those  not  only 
of  typical  men,  but  representative,  as  far  as 
possible,  of  different  fields  of  labour,  and 
various  modes   of  action.     The   theme  has 

*  Published  in  the  Clergymaris  Magazine  for  1878, 
and  also  separately  as  a  volume  by  Messrs.  Hodder  and 
Stoughton,  Paternoster  Row,  London ;  and  Whittaker, 
Bible  House,  New  York.  The  present  sketches  were 
originally  printed  in  the  same  Magazine,  1881. 


X  PREFACE. 

been  resumed  with  the  commencement  of  the 
present  century,  for  the  life  of  Schwartz 
(which  closed  the  former  series)  brought 
us  down  to  the  end  of  the  eighteenth. 

In  reviewing  the  long,  grand  muster-roll 
of  illustrious  names  which  belong  to  the 
period  that  has  intervened  between  his  day 
and  ours,  the  chief  difficulty  lay  in  the 
exercise  of  choice.  It  has  been  thought 
better,  for  many  reasons,  to  make  no  men- 
tion of  living  men,  although  some  of  these 
might  well  take  their  place  beside  any  of 
the  noblest  who  have  preceded  them ;  but 
even  with  this  additional  limitation,  the  task 
of  selection,  if  not  an  invidious,  has  certainly 
not  been  an  easy  one. 

We  trust  that  these  sketches  will  furnish 
some  idea  of  the  extent  and  progress  of 
missionary  work  during  this  century,  and  of 
the  varied  instrumentalities  which  are  now 
employed   in    carrying    it   on.      Beginning 


PREFACE.  xi 

with  a  time  when  the  *'  messengers  of  the 
Churches"  were  sneered  at  as  *'  consecrated 
cobblers,"  they  carry  us  on  to  our  own 
happier  days,  when  their  names  find  grate- 
ful record  in  royal  speeches,  and  their 
remains  find  honourable  repose  in  our 
national  sanctuaries ;  they  show  us  how 
all  sorts  of  culture,  linguistic,  medical,  and 
scientific,  are  being  made  subservient  to 
the  spread  of  the  gospel  of  Christ ;  they 
prove  that  the  age  of  chivalry  is  not  past, 
and  that  the  spirit  of  martyrdom  is  not 
extinct  in  the  Church  of  God  ;  and  they 
bear  testimony  that  the  Gospel  has  lost 
neither  its  vitality  nor  its  power,  inasmuch 
as  amongst  all  races,  whether  savage 
or  civilized,  it  has  achieved,  and  is  still 
achieving,  triumphs  which  may  well  com- 
pare with  those  of  apostolic  times. 

We    may   challenge    the   history   of    the 
world    to    produce     instances    of    heroism 


xii  PREFACE. 

more  exalted  or  more  heart-stirring  than 
those  which  are  enumerated  here  ;  and  we 
may  claim  for  these  champions  of  the 
Cross  a  valour  and  a  self-devotion  as 
disinterested  as  they  were  sublime.  Let 
it  be  remembered,  moreover,  that  they  are 
but  examples  chosen  from  a  countless  host 
of  brave  and  noble  men,  *'  of  whom  the  world 
was  not  worthy," — men  who  were  content  to 
labour  on  in  silence  and  obscurity,  with- 
out any  hope  of  earthly  recompense,  and 
many  of  whom  laid  down  their  lives  in 
the  cause  of  Him  whom  they  loved  and 
served. 

These  records  prove,  moreover,  that 
with  regard  to  the  heroism  of  missionary 
enterprise,  no  body  of  Christians  can  lay 
claim  to  a  monopoly.  We  have,  and  we 
strongly  hold,  our  ecclesiastical  preferences 
and  convictions ;  but  heroism  like  this  is 
the   outcome   of   Christianity   itself,   and   it 


TREE  ACE.  xui 

furnishes  undeniable  evidence  that,  amidst 
many  unhappy  differences,  there  exists 
amongst  Christian  people  a  grand  under- 
lying agreement  both  as  to  faith  and  duty. 
To  quote  the  words  of  one*  of  whom  any 
Church  or  nation  might  be  proud : — "  The 
spirit  of  missions  is  the  spirit  of  our  Master ; 
the  very  genius  of  true  religion.  A  diffu- 
sive philanthropy  is  Christianity  itself  It 
requires  perpetual  propagation  to  attest  its 
genuineness."  And  he  adds,  what  is  of 
vast  importance  to  bear  in  mind — "  the 
Church  must  send  her  ablest,  most  highly 
educated,  and  best  men  to  the  heathen ; 
.  .  .  for  the  work  in  the  foreign  field  is 
more  difficult  than  the  work  at  home ;  " 
and  he  describes  as  a  "  popular  delusion  " 
the  supposition  that  "  an  army  requires  to 
be  better  led  in  peace  than  in  war." 
If  these  sketches  help  to  attract  atten*' 

*  Dr.  Livins;stone. 


xiv  PREFACE. 

to  deepen  sympathy,  and  to  call  forth  help 
on  behalf  of  this  great  cause, — more  especi- 
ally if  they  be  the  means  of  enlisting  new 
warriors  in  this  noblest  of  all  services, — they 
will  have  answered  the  purpose  for  which 
they  were  written,  and  realized  the  prayer 
with  which  they  are  now  sent  forth. 

W.  P.  O. 

The  Palace,  Kilkenny. 
December^  1881. 


C  ONTENTS. 


CHAP.  PAGE 

I.    HENRY  MARTYN:    INDIA  AND  PERSIA,   1S05-1812  I 

,    II.    WILLIAM    CAREY:    INDIA,    1793-1834           .            .  31 

III.    ADONIRAM    JUDSON  :    BURMAH,    1813-1850            .  63 

'  IV.    ROBERT   MORRISON  :    CHINA,    1807-1834    .            .  95 

V,    SAMUEL   MARSDEN  :    NEW   ZEALAND,    1814-1838  II9 

VI.    JOHN   WILLIAMS:   POLYNESIA,    1817-1839              .  I43 

Vn.    WILLIAM   JOHNSON  :   WEST   AFRICA,    1816-1823  169 

vin.  JOHN  hunt:  fiji,  1838-1848         .        .        .  195 

IX.  ALLEN  GARDINER  :   SOUTH  AMERICA,   1835-1851  217 

X.  ALEXANDER   DUFF:    INDIA,    1829-1864       .  .  247 

"   XL  DAVID    LIVINGSTONE  :    AFRICA,    1840-1873  .  281 

Xn.  BISHOP    PATTESON  :    MELANESIA,    1855-1871         .  315 


I. 

HENRY  MARTYN.    INDIA  AND  PERSIA, 
1805 — 1812. 

As  to  the  name  that  should  stand  foremost 
on  the  list  of  "  Modern  Heroes  of  the 
Mission-field,"  there  can  scarcely  be  a  doubt. 
That  of  Henry  Martyn  does  not,  indeed, 
take  the  first  place  chronologically;  for  of 
those  whose  lives  are  to  be  sketched,  one  at 
least  preceded  him  in  the  mission  field ;  but 
for  the  saintliness  of  his  character,  the 
devotedness  of  his  life,  and  the  influence  of 
his  bright  though  brief  career,  his  name 
stands  confessedly  pre-eminent. 

It  is  most  natural,  and  appropriate  also, 
considering  the  purpose  for  which  these 
sketches  were  written,  that  a  member  of  the 
Church  of  England  should  enjoy  this  dis- 
tinction ;  and  we  have  no  doubt  that  Non- 
conformists  themselves   will   rejoice  to  see 

I 


2  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

Martyn's  name  taking  such  a  position  on  a 
roll  which  records  the  achievements  of  some 
of  their  own  most  distinguished  missionaries. 
His  claim  to  this  place  in  our  own  ranks  is 
unquestionable.  What  Herbert  is  amongst 
our  poets,  and  Wilson  amongst  our  bishops, 
Henry  Martyn  is  amongst  our  missionary 
heroes.  High  Church,  Low  Church,  Broad 
Church,  or  whatever  other  sections  there 
may  be  amongst  us,  unite  with  one  accord 
in  giving  their  meed  of  honour  to  this  most 
saintly  of  men.  We  cannot,  indeed,  go  so 
far  as  Sir  James  Stephen,  and  say  that 
*'  Martyn's  is  the  one  heroic  name  which 
adorns  the  annals  of  the  English  Church 
from  the  days  of  Elizabeth  to  our  own ;  " 
but  we  can  assign  him  a  foremost  place 
amongst  our  best  and  noblest  worthies. 
Although,  in  respect  to  direct  missionary 
success,  his  career  must  be  considered  as 
almost  a  failure,  yet,  in  its  indirect  effects, 
no  other  has  been  more  fruitful.  His  "Life** 
has  awakened  the  missionary  spirit  in  more 
human  hearts  than  any  other  memoir  ever 
given   to    the  world;    and  not  only  has  it 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  3 

stirred  up  many  a  brave  spirit  to  follow  him 
to  the  same  great  battle-field,  but  it  has 
sustained  and  cheered  many  a  soldier  of  the 
cross  amidst  his  arduous  conflicts.  Thus 
Weitbrecht  writes :  *'  During  my  leisure 
hours  I  read  Henry  Martyn's  life.  Dear 
Martyn  !  how  I  love  his  tender  heart  and  his 
intense  love  to  his  Saviour !  If  any  reading 
besides  the  Bible  is  calculated  to  bring  a 
missionary  into  a  proper  frame  of  mind, 
while  engaged  in  his  labour  of  love,  it  is 
the  '  Life  '  of  this  holy  man.  It  raised  my 
mind  to  holy  aspirations  for  the  same  spirit. 
Oh  !  how  I  can  feel  with  him  in  griefs  and 
sorrows,  being  tempted  and  tried  by  an  un- 
believing world  much  in  the  same  way." 

A  valued  friend  whom  I  consulted  in 
reference  to  these  sketches  said  to  me,  *'  I 
fear  the  life  of  Henry  Martyn  is  a  hackneyed 
subject;"  and  in  one  sense  he  was  right, 
for  no  story  has  been  more  frequently  read, 
or  is  better  known ;  but  I  do  not  think  that 
the  public  are  tired  of  it,  and  others  are 
evidently  of  the  same  opinion ;  for  there 
has  lately  issued  from  the  press,  as  one  of  a 


4  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

series  of  books  entitled  **  Men  Worth  Re- 
membering," another  sketch  of  our  hero's 
life  (by  Canon  Bell).  This  paper,  however, 
does  not  pretend  to  be  more  than  a  loving 
**  memorial  "  of  one  *'  whose  praise  is  in  all 
the  churches,"  and  a  grateful  record  of 
labours  which  ought  never  to  be  forgotten. 

Born  (1781)  in  the  humble  home  of  one 
who  had  been  a  Cornish  miner,  but  who, 
having  learned  the  value  of  a  little  edu- 
cation for  himself,  desired  to  give  a  fuller 
measure  of  it  to  his  son,  Henry  Martyn 
fought  his  way  through  difficulties  and 
adversities  up  to  the  highest  honours  that 
his  university  could  bestow.  Cambridge 
may  well  be  proud  of  her  senior  wrangler, 
and  St.  John's  may  well  link  together  in 
honour  the  names  of  two  illustrious  students, 
who  within  her  walls  knew  and  loved  each 
other ;  destined  each  of  them  to  shine  with 
an  undying  lustre,  though  in  widely  different 
spheres — Henry  Kirke  White  as  the  poet, 
and  Henry  Martyn  as  the  missionary. 

How  little  we  can  determine,  from  his  first 
attempts,  concerning  a  man's  future  career 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  5 

may  be  illustrated  from  the  fact  that  Martyn 
began  his  college  studies  by  committing  the 
propositions  of  Euclid  to  memory,  and  yet 
at  the  end  of  four  short  years  he  was  the 
foremost  mathematician  of  his  class.  It 
augured  well  for  his  many-sidedness  of 
mind,  that  though  he  mainly  applied  himself 
to  mathematics,  he  carried  off  the  first  prizes 
of  his  year  in  Latin  composition,  was  elected 
fellow  of  his  college,  and  was  again  and 
again  appointed  as  Examiner  in  classics  and 
metaphysics.  Indeed,  he  was  known  amongst 
his  fellow-students  as  *'  the  man  who  had  not 
lost  an  hour."  But  the  time  was  at  hand 
when  he  was  to  lay  down  all  his  honours  at 
the  Master's  feet,  and  to  consecrate  all  his 
abilities  and  attainments  to  that  Master's 
service. 

He  had  already  realized  the  insufficiency 
of  earthly  honours  to  make  him  happy.  He 
thus  describes  his  own  feelings  at  the 
moment  when  all  men  were  applauding  and 
many  envying  him  :  "  I  obtained  my  highest ' 
wishes,  but  was  surprised  to  find  that  I 
grasped    a    shadow."      It    reminds    us    of 


6  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

Edmund  Burke's  famous  saying  on  the 
occasion  of  a  great  election :  '  *  What  shadows 
we  are,  and  what  shadows  we  pursue!  "  But 
Martyn  had  begun  the  search  after  enduring 
happiness.  The  influence  of  his  younger 
sister,  combined  with  that  of  a  college  friend 
who  had  been  formerly  his  school  com- 
panion, had  led  him  to  the  study  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures ;  and  the  death  of  his 
father,  which  occurred  just  as  his  son  had 
attained  the  highest  summit  of  his  ambition, 
deepened  his  religious  impressions,  and  he 
soon  found  rest  and  satisfaction  in  the 
gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.  Up  to  this  time  he 
had  resolved  on  going  to  **  the  law"  as  a 
profession,  and  had  preferred  it  to  entering 
the  ministry,  "  chiefly,"  as  he  confesses, 
*'  because  he  would  not  consent  to  be  poor 
for  Christ's  sake."  But  now  a  new  ambition 
seized  him,  and  he  resolved  not  only  to 
become  a  clergyman,  but  to  devote  his  life 
to  the  work  of  God  amongst  the  heathen. 
He  accordingly  offered  himself,  at  the  close 
of  the  year  1802,  to  the  Church  Missionary 
Society,  and  professed  himself  ready  to  go 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  7 

to  any  part  of  the  world  as  a  missionary  of 
the  cross  of  Christ. 

This  choice  was  mainly  determined  by  two 
things ;  first,  by  an  observation  of  the  Rev. 
Charles  Simeon,  to  whose  ministry  at  Cam- 
bridge he  had  attached  himself.  This 
observation  had  reference  to  the  wonderful 
benefits  which  had  resulted  from  the  labours 
of  a  si7igle  missionary  (Dr.  Carey)  in  India, 
and  the  young  graduate  could  not  divest  his 
mind  of  the  impression  which  it  made.  It 
haunted  him  day  and  night.  Soon  after 
this  he  was  led  to  read  an  account  of  David 
Brainerd,  who  had  devoted  a  short  but  noble 
life  to  the  evangelization  of  the  Red  Indians ; 
and  this  memoir  not  only  confirmed  his 
growing  resolve  to  dedicate  himself  to 
missionary  work,  but  often  guided  and 
cheered  him  afterwards,  amidst  his  arduous 
labours  in  the  East.  Most  truly  may  it  be 
said  that  he  became  what  Brainerd  often 
wished  to  be, — "a  flame  of  fire  in  the  service 
of  his  God." 

It  must  not  be  forgotten  that  at  the  time 
Henry   Martyn   came    to   this    resolve    the 


S  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

position  of  a  missionary  was  held  in  pity  and 
contempt — in  pity  by  those  who  esteemed 
their  work  as  an  earnest  but  wild  enthusiasm 
— in  contempt  by  those  who  considered  them 
more  in  the  light  of  fools  than  fanatics.  It 
was  the  day  when  the  authorities  openly 
opposed  missionary  effort  in  India,  and  when 
a  Governor-General  declared  that  the  man 
who  could  be  mad  enough  to  speak  of 
religion  to  the  natives  would  fire  a  pistol 
into  a  magazine  of  gunpowder.  Our 
missionary-designate  had  to  encounter  these 
prejudices,  and  to  learn  that  not  even  his 
admitted  talents  or  his  academic  distinctions 
could  save  him  from  scorn  and  misconcep- 
tion. "Yet  I  desire,"  he  writes,  "to  take 
the  ridicule  of  men  with  all  meekness  and 
charity,  looking  forward  to  another  world  for 
approbation  and  reward."  And  this  more- 
over was  a  life-long  trial ;  for  towards  the 
end  of  his  career  we  find  him  repeating  lines, 
which  were  often  upon  his  lips  during  his 
seven  years  of  incessant  toil — 

"  If  on  my  face  for  Thy  dear  name 
Shame  and  reproaches  be, 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  9 

All  hail  reproach,  and  welcome  shame, 
If  Thou  remember  me  !  " 

And  yet,  strange  to  say,  it  was  not  as  a  pro- 
fessed missionary  that  this  most  devoted  of 
all  missionaries  found  his  way  to  the  East. 
Just  at  this  crisis  of  his  history  all  his  little 
patrimony  was  lost,  and  as  his  sister  was 
involved  in  the  disaster,  it  appeared  scarcely 
justifiable  to  leave  her  unprovided  for,  so 
long  as  his  presence  in  England  could 
alleviate  her  distress.  His  friends,  in  order 
to  meet  the  difficulty,  procured  him  a 
chaplaincy  in  the  East  India  Company's 
service,  and  it  was  avowedly  in  that  capacity 
he  went  forth  to  foreign  lands ;  but  how  he 
used  his  position  to  further  the  great  aim  of 
his  life  let  his  whole  subsequent  history 
declare ;  and  in  what  spirit  he  received  the 
appointment  let  the  following  extract  from 
his  journal  testify  : — "  The  prospect  of  this 
world's  happiness  gave  me  rather  pain  than 
pleasure,  which  convinced  me  that  I  had 
been  running  away  from  the  world  rather 
than  overcoming  it."  Let  no  one  imagine, 
however,    that   it   was   without   the  deepest 


lo  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

pangs  to  which  an  affectionate  and  sensitive 
nature  can  be  subjected,  that  Henry  Martyn 
found  himself  taking-  leave  of  honours  and 
fame  and  friends  at  home,  to  encounter  the 
unknown  but  certain  trials  of  what  he  was 
determined  should  be  a  missionary  career. 
He  makes  no  secret  of  his  feelings ;  and  his 
letters  and  journals  bear  witness  that  he 
took  his  last  look  at  England  with  an  almost 
breaking  heart:  '*I  find  by  experience  that 
I  am  as  weak  as  water."  They  are  touching 
words — all  the  more  touching  for  their 
honesty  and  truthfulness. 

And  there  was  besides,  in  his  case,  **  a 
beautiful  sad  story"  of  tender  and  deep 
attachment  to  one  who  seemed  well  worthy 
of  him,  but  whose  union  to  the  man  she 
loved  was  hindered  both  then  and  afterwards 
by  circumstances  upon  which  we  have  neither 
time  nor  heart  to  linger.  It  is  very  affecting, 
as  one  reads  his  memoir,  to  see  how  her 
image  again  and  again  rises  to  his  view,  now 
as  he  gazes  from  the  deck  of  the  vessel  that 
bears  him  far  away,  or  again  as  he  looks  out 
on  the  pale  moonlight  of  an  Eastern  sky,  or 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  ii 

once  more  as  he  finds  himself  amidst  the 
solitude  and  dreariness  of  some  comfortless 
caravansary.  The  last  letter  he  ever  wrote 
was  to  Lydia  Grenfell,  when  from  his  distant 
station  at  Tabriz,  though  labouring  under 
illness  and  weakness,  he  looked  forward  to 
a  meeting  with  her  whom  he  hoped  one  day 
to  call  his  wife.  But  it  was  not  to  be.  Their 
union  and  their  joy  were  to  be  reserved  for 
heaven. 

We  cannot  dwell  upon  the  eventful 
voyage,  during  which,  *'  instant  in  season 
and  out  of  season,"  he  preached  Christ  to 
his  fellow-passengers,  with  a  boldness  that 
made  some  angry,  and  yet  with  a  tenderness 
that  made  others  weep.  Nor  can  we  stay  to 
tell  how  on  the  Brazilian  coast  he  gained 
alike  the  love  of  wealthy  planter  and  of  poor 
slave,  and  held  conversations  in  Latin  with 
priests  and  friars,  endeavouring  to  win  them 
to  the  "truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus."  Neither 
can  we  tarry  to  relate  how  at  the  Cape, 
where  a  fierce  war  was  waging,  he  went 
ashore,  regardless  of  all  danger,  to  minister 
to  the  wounded  and  the  dying,  and  to  speak 


12  MODERN  HEROES   OF 

both    to    degraded    Hottentot    and    brave 
British  soldier  the  words  of  eternal  life. 

India  was  reached  at  last,  and  the  heart  of 
our  missionary  was  filled  with  conflicting 
emotions — of  joy,  to  find  himself  in  the  scene 
of  his  long-anticipated  labours — of  de- 
spondency, when  he  looked  around  and  saw 
the  "gross  darkness"  of  the  land,  and  the 
apparently  insuperable  hindrances  in  his 
path.  With  all  his  enthusiasm,  he  was  not 
the  man  to  under-estimate  the  difficulties  of 
his  work ;  and  with  a  temperament  which 
was  not  so  much  the  result  of  melancholy  as 
of  an  exquisite  sensitiveness,  his  heart  often 
sank  within  him  at  the  scenes  he  witnessed, 
and  the  abominations  by  which  he  was 
surrounded.  His  righteous  soul  was  vexed, 
now  by  the  apathy  or  the  opposition  shown 
by  his  fellow-countrymen  in  India  towards 
the  truth  which  he  preached  ;  now  by  their 
ungodly  lives,  which  raised  up  the  most 
fearful  stumbling-blocks  against  the  recep- 
tion of  Christianity  by  the  natives.  At  one 
time  we  find  him  saddened  and  depressed  by 
gross  idolatries  in  the  pagoda  of  Juggernaut, 


THE  MISSION  FIELD. 


13 


at  another  horrified  at  finding  himself  just 
too  late  to  rescue  a  deluded  woman  from  the 
blazing  fire  of  the  Suttee.  It  was  no  marvel 
that  he  should  say,  **  I  shivered  as  if  stand- 
ing as  it  were  in  the  neighbourhood  of  hell; " 
and  again,  "The  fiends  of  darkness  seem  to 
sit  in  sullen  repose  in  this  land." 

Still  his  faith  failed  not ;  he  knew  what 
God  could  do  in  His  own  good  time,  and  in 
that  confidence  he  wrote  these  almost  pro- 
phetic words  :  **  Even  if  I  never  should  see 
a  native  converted,  God  may  design,  by  my 
patience  and  continuance  in  the  work,  to 
encourage  future  missionaries." 

His  first  home  in  India  was  appropriately 
enough  in  a  ruined  pagoda  which  was  fitted 
up  for  his  use,  and  it  was  a  joy  to  him  that 
"the  place  where  once  devils  were  worshipped 
was  now  become  a  Christian  oratory."  He 
soon  made  the  acquaintance  of  men  like- 
minded  with  himself — Brown  and  Corrie, 
and  also  of  the  Serampore  missionaries — 
Carey  and  Marshman.  He  had  really  been 
given  to  India  in  answer  to  their  prayers, 
and   they  were   not   slow   to  appreciate  his 


14  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

character  and  worth.  Indeed,  every  effort 
was  made  to  detain  him  at  Calcutta,  that  he 
might  minister  to  the  English,  but  his  heart 
was  set  on  his  special  work,  and  from  the 
first  he  sedulously  devoted  himself  to  the 
acquisition  of  Sanscrit  and  Hindustani,  in 
order  to  fit  himself  for  it,  often  wearying  his 
Munshees  by  his  untiring  assiduity. 

At  the  end  of  four  months  he  was  sent  to 
Dinapore,  and  began  his  regular  duties  as 
chaplain  to  the  troops.  To  a  man  like 
Martyn  these  were  not  matters  of  mere 
routine;  nor  did  he  confine  his  ministrations 
to  the  ordinary  services  from  the  drum-head, 
or  to  the  visitation  of  sick  soldiers  in  the 
hospital.  He  had  special  meetings  in  the 
evening  for  such  as  were  desirous  of  further 
spiritual  instruction;  he  gathered  the  native 
wives  of  the  soldiers  every  Sunday  afternoon 
for  a  service  in  their  own  tongue ;  he  pre- 
pared for  their  use  a  Hindustani  translation 
of  our  Lord's  parables,  with  a  simple  com- 
mentary ;  and  he  opened,  at  his  own  cost, 
five  schools  for  native  children.  Frequently 
his  duties  were  of  a  most  painful  kind.     At 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  15 

one  time  he  is  remonstrating  with  a  colonel 
who  is  living  in  open  and  flagrant  sin ;  at 
another  he  is  rebuking  an  apostate  official 
who  has  abjured  Christianity,  and  built  a 
mosque  in  honour  of  the  false  prophet.  But 
amidst  all  this  his  heart  is  fixed  upon  his 
chosen  work ;  he  is  mastering  Arabic  and 
Persian  ;  he  is  disputing  with  Brahmins,  and 
becoming  acquainted  with  their  tenets ;  he  is 
studying  the  Ramayuna  and  the  Koran  ;  he 
is  translating  portions  of  the  New  Testament 
and  of  the  Prayer  Book  into  oriental 
tongues ;  and  all  this  in  a  place  where,  to 
use  his  own  regretful  language,  "  not  one 
voice  is  heard  saying,  '  I  wish  you  good  luck 
in  the  name  of  the  Lord.'" 

Three  years  of  this  prefatory  work,  and  he 
is  transferred  to  Cawnpore  (1809),  where  we 
find  him  preaching  to  a  thousand  soldiers 
drawn  up  in  a  hollow  square,  when  the  heat 
is  so  intense  that  many  of  the  men  drop 
down  around  him,  and  where  his  own  health 
suffers  continually  from  ague  and  fever.  It 
was  here  that  he  had  the  happiness  of  meet- 
ing Mrs,    Sherwood,  whose   Christian  sym 


1 6  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

pathy  cheered  him,  and  whose  graphic  pen 
has  left  us  such  vivid  portraits  both  of  our 
hero  and  his  work.  Her  first  impressions 
of  him  are  thus  recorded  :  "  He  was  dressed 
in  white,  and  looked  verj'  pale,  which  how- 
ever was  nothing  singular  in  India ;  his  hair, 
a  light  brown,  was  raised  from  his  forehead, 
which  was  a  remarkably  fine  one.  His 
features  were  not  regular,  but  the  expression 
was  so  luminous,  so  intellectual,  so  affection- 
ate, so  beaming  with  Divine  charity,  that  no 
one  could  have  looked  at  his  features  and 
thought  of  their  shape  or  form ;  the  out- 
beaming  of  his  soul  would  absorb  the 
attention  of  every  observer."  She  describes 
him  as  most  polished  and  refined ;  with  a 
voice  and  ear  most  musical ;  and  her  picture 
of  her  little  Lucy,  eighteen  months  old, 
creeping  up  to  the  pale,  white-clad  mission- 
ary, as  he  lay  upon  his  sofa,  with  all  his  books 
around  him,  and  perching  herself  on  the  big 
Hebrew  Lexicon,  which  he  needed  at  every 
turn,  but  from  which  his  gentle  love  would  not 
displace  her,  is  most  beautiful  and  touching, 
and  shows  that  his  was  not  the  morose  and 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  17 

gloomy    temperament    with    which   he   has 
sometimes  been  unfairly  credited. 

It  was  at  Cawnpore  he  made  his  first  essay 
at  public  preaching  to  the  natives ;  and  his 
was  a  weird  and  motley  congregation.  On 
Sunday  evenings  he  opened  the  gates  of  his 
garden  to  the  devotees  and  vagrants  who 
haunted  the  station,  and  who  were  easily  in- 
duced to  attend  by  the  promise  of  a  pice 
apiece.  Sometimes  from  five  to  eight 
hundred  of  these  Jogees  and  Fakeers  would 
crowd  around  him,  as  he  read  to  them  some 
striking  verse  of  Scripture,  and  then  endea- 
voured to  explain  to  them,  in  language  most 
simple  but  most  beautiful,  the  Fatherhood 
of  God  and  the  love  of  Jesus  Christ  our 
Saviour.  It  was  a  scene  that  might  have 
inspired  the  pencil  of  some  great  artist. 
Mrs.  Sherwood  says  that  "  no. dreams  in  the 
delirium  of  a  raging  fever  could  surpass  the 
realities"  presented  on  these  occasions. 
She  describes  this  frightful  crowd,  "clothed 
with  abominable  rags,  or  nearly  without 
clothes,  or  plastered  with  mud  and  cow-dung, 
or  with  long  matted  locks  streaming  down 

2 


1 8  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

to  their  heels ;  every  countenance  foul  and 
frightful  with  evil  passions ;  the  lips  black 
with  tobacco,  or  crimson  with  henna.  One 
man  who  came  in  a  cart,  drawn  by  a  bullock, 
was  so  bloated  as  to  look  like  an  enormous 
frog;  another  had  kept  an  arm  above  his 
head,  with  his  hand  clenched  till  the  nails 
had  come  out  of  the  back  of  his  hand  ;  and 
one  very  tall  man  had  all  his  bones  marked 
on  his  dark  skin  with  white  chalk,  like  the 
figure  of  grim  Death  himself." 

Such  was  the  congregation  of  the  gifted 
and  accomplished  Fellow  of  St.  John's,  but 
it  realized  to  him  the  happy  experience  of 
the  Master — "  To  the  poor  the  gospel  Is 
preached ;  "  and  though  at  the  time  he  only 
knew  of  one  old  Hindu  woman  (whom  he  had 
baptized)  as  the  fruit  of  his  labour,  a  seed 
had  fallen  In  that  unlikely  place,  which 
brought  forth  much  fruit  in  after  days. 
Amongst  some  young  Mussulmans  who  sat 
one  evening  on  the  wall  of  the  missionary's 
garden,  amusing  themselves  with  the  ** folly'* 
of  the  English  padre,  was  a  pundit  named 
Sheik  Salah.     To    him    the  word    of   God 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  19 

proved  quick  and  powerful,  and  we  meet  with 
him  afterwards  in  mission  history  as  Abdul 
Messeh,  the  earliest  of  our  Indian  pastors, 
who  was  ordained  by  Bishop  Heber,  and  of 
whom  that  discerning  and  lamented  prelate 
speaks  in  his  journal  with  such  commend- 
ation. More  than  forty  Hindus  were  con- 
verted to  Christianity  by  the  instrumentality 
of  this  one  man ;  and  when  he  died,  a  monu- 
ment was  erected  by  the  Resident  at  Lucknow, 
to  commemorate  his  devotedness  and  success. 
Truly  the  labours  of  Henry  Martyn  were 
"not  in  vain  in  the  Lord,"  although  in  this 
case,  as  in  others,  he  was  not  privileged  to 
see  the  fruits  for  himself. 

But  his  great  work  was  his  translation  of 
the  New  Testament,  first  into  the  Hindustani, 
and  next  into  the  Persian  tongue.  To  use 
an  expression  of  his  own,  he  felt  that  *'  the 
translation  of  the  Scriptures  was  the  grand 
point,"  and  that  it  would  be  *'  a  work  of 
more  lasting  benefit "  than  his  preaching 
would  be,  and  therefore  to  this  he  gave  him- 
self unremittingly.  His  assistant  in  the 
Hindustani  translation  was  a  famous  scholar 


20  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

named  Mirza,  of  Benares,  who  seems  to  have 
been  a  comfort  as  well  as  a  help  to  him ;  but 
Sabat,  the  Arabian,  whom  he  employed  to 
aid  him  in  the  Persian,  and  who  afterwards 
became  an  apostate  from  Christianity,  was 
a  constant  trouble  and  perplexity;   his  wild, 
passionate  nature  breaking   out  perpetually 
into  all    kinds    of  insubordination.     In  one 
passage  of  his  journal,  Martyn  speaks  thus 
truly  though  unconsciously  of  his  own  spirit, 
when  he  says,    "  And  this  also  I  learnt,  that 
the    power   of    gentleness    is    irresistible." 
But  not  even  Martyn' s  gentleness  could  tame 
this  Ishmaelite  ;  and  one  result  of  his  proud 
and  unbending  superciliousness  was  that  the 
missionary's  better  judgment  was  often  over- 
borne in  the  work  which  he  had  in  hand ;  so 
that  after  the  translation  was  completed  he 
had  the  mortification  of  finding  that  whilst  in 
the  opinion  of  competent  judges  his  Hindu- 
stani  was   all    that    could   be   desired,    his 
Persian  was  too  lofty  in  its  style,  and  too  full 
of  Arabic   idioms,    to   be  generally  useful. 
On  making  this  discovery,  he  resolved  to  go 
into  Persia  and  Arabia,  with  the  view  of  revis- 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  21 

insr  his  Persian  Testament  under  the  most 
favourable  circumstances,  and  of  com- 
pleting an  Arabic  version  which  was  nearly 
finished. 

He  quitted  India  in  bad  health.    Symptoms 
of  consumption,  the  hereditary  disease  of  his 
family,  had  begun  to  show  themselves,  and 
his  incessant  toil  had  greatly  enfeebled  him. 
His  friend,  Mr.  Browne  (at  whose  instigation 
he  first   took  up  the   work  of  translation), 
wrote  to  him,  with   oriental  expressiveness, 
"  Can  I  then  bring  myself  to  cut  the  string, 
and  let  you  go  ?     I  confess  I  could  not  if 
your  bodily  frame  were  strong,  and  promised 
to  last  for  half  a  century.     But  as  you  burn 
with    the    intenseness    and   rapid    blaze   of 
phosphorus,   why  should  we  not   make  the 
most  of  you  ?     Your  flame  may  last  as  long, 
and  perhaps  longer  in  Arabia,  than  in  India. 
Where  should  the  phoenix  build  her  odori- 
ferous nest,  but  in    the   land   prophetically 
called   the   '  blessed '  ?     And   where   should 
we  ever  expect  but  from  that  country  the 
true  Comforter  to  come  to  the  nations  of  the 
East?" 


22  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

He  left  India  on  the  7th  of  January,  181 1, 
without  a  companion,  without  even  an  atten- 
dant, and  it  is  only  from  fragments  of  his 
letters  and  journals  we  can  trace  his  pro- 
gress. Now  he  is  on  board  a  vessel  for 
Bombay,  and  delights  in  hearing  from  the 
captain,  who  had  been  a  pupil  of  Schwartz, 
the  story  of  that  noble  missionary ;  now  he 
is  standing  by  the  tomb  of  Xavier  at  Goa, 
and  visiting  the  chambers  of  the  Inquisition 
close  by;  now  he  is  suffering  from  sun- 
stroke at  Bushire ;  now  he  is  traversing  in 
oriental  dress  the  mountain  paths  of  Persia, 
with  the  thermometer  rising  to  126°  at  noon, 
and  with  the  nights  so  piercingly  cold  that 
he  has  to  gather  all  his  wraps  about  him  to 
keep  himself  from  shivering- —  "  a  fire  within 
my  head,  my  skin  like  a  cinder,  my  pulse 
violent."  But  as  we  read  of  the  countless 
"  parasangs "  he  travelled  day  after  day, 
and  contrast  the  object  of  his  journey  with 
that  of  a  Cyrus  or  an  Alexander,  we  cannot 
fail  to  see  that  the  humble  missionary  was  a 
truer  hero  than  the  mighty  conquerors  who 
preceded  him  in  those  classic  regions.     Ar- 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  23 

rived  at  Shiraz,  "the  Athens  of  Persia,"  he 
spent  the  last  year  of  his  brief  eventful  life 
in  perfecting  his  New  Testament,  and  trans- 
lating the  Book  of  Psalms.  He  sought  to 
lay  the  precious  volume,  when  completed,  at 
the  feet  of  the  Shah,  and  travelled  a  thou- 
sand miles  with  this  object ;  but  fever  struck 
him  down  before  he  could  accomplish  it,  and 
the  presentation  had  to  be  made  by  Sir  Gore 
Ousley,  the  British  ambassador.  The  gift 
was  graciously  accepted  by  the  monarch ; 
and  better  still,  it  was  declared  by  the  best 
judges  to  be  "  a  noble  version ;  "  and  having 
been  printed  afterwards  at  St.  Petersburg,  it 
went  forth  on  the  wings  of  the  press  in  a 
tongue  which,  according  to  his  biographer, 
*'  is  spoken  by  200,000  who  bear  the  Christian 
name,"  and  is  known  moreover  to  a  large 
proportion  of  the  earth's  inhabitants. 

Not,  indeed,  without  manifold  interrup- 
tions was  this  great  work  accomplished. 
Again  and  again  had  our  missionary  to 
encounter  the  Mollahs  and  the  Soofies  of 
Persia  in  public  and  private  disputation.  In 
these  controversies  all  his  faith  and  patience 


24  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

as  a  Christian,  as  well  as  all  his  acumen  and 
learning  as  a  scholar,  were  put  to  the  severest 
test.  There  is  something  grand  as  we  look 
at  that  gentle  and  emaciated,  but  intrepid 
young  man  (he  had  scarcely  passed  his 
thirtieth  year)  encountering,  single-handed, 
the  fanaticism  and  the  fury  of  these  Eastern 
sages,  and  confessing  and  upholding  the 
religion  of  Christ  against  the  speculations 
of  vain  philosophy,  and  the  blasphemies  of 
Islam,  when  to  do  so  was  to  run  the  risk  of 
losing  life.  To  Henry  Martyn,  we  believe, 
belongs  the  honour  of  having  been  the  first 
in  modern  days  to  preach  the  gospel  of 
Christ  to  the  followers  of  the  false  prophet ; 
and  he  did  so  with  a  tact  and  a  skill  which 
won  the  admiration  of  his  opponents.  We 
must  wait  "  until  all  things  are  made  known  " 
before  we  can  tell  the  full  issues  of  these 
discussions.  But  Sir  Robert  Ker  Porter 
has  mentioned  how  earnestly  he  was  asked, 
on  his  journey,  by  some  Persians,  whether  he 
was  acquainted  with  '*  the  man  of  God." 
*'  He  came  here,"  they  said,  *'  in  the  midst 
of  us,  sat  down  encircled  by  our  wise  men, 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  2$ 

and  made  such  remarks  upon  our  Koran  as 
cannot  be  answered.  .  .  .  We  want  to  know 
more  about  his  religion  and  the  book  that 
he  left  among  us." 

A  writer  in  the  Asiatic  journal  has  men- 
tioned the  case  of  an  interesting  and  accom- 
plished man,  called  Mahomed  Rahem,  whom 
he   met  at  Shiraz,  and  who  for  years  had 
been    secretly  a  Christian.     On    inquiry,   it 
turned  out  that  he  had  been  led  to  change 
his  religious  opinions  in  consequence,  as  he 
said,  of  the  teaching  of  "  a  beardless  youth 
enfeebled  by  disease,"  who  had  visited  their 
city  in  the  1223  of  the  Hegira,  and  encoun- 
tered their  Mollahs   with  great  ability  and 
forbearance.     He  then  described  a  farewell 
visit  which  he  had  paid  to  the  young  mis- 
sionary before   his   departure   from    Shiraz, 
and  said,  "  That  visit  sealed  my  conversion. 
He  gave  me  a  book ;  it  has  been  my  con- 
stant companion  ;  the  study  of  it  has  formed 
my  most  delightful  occupation  ;  its  contents 
have  consoled  me."      He  showed  the  book. 
It  was  the  New  Testament  in  Persian,  and 
on   one   of   the   blank   leaves   was   written, 


26  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

"There  is  joy  in  heaven  over  one  sinner 
that  repenteth. — Henry  Martyn." 

There  is  no  mention  of  Mahomed  Rahem 
in  Martyn's  memoir,  but  he  was  probably 
one  of  those  young  men  who,  as  he  says,  came 
from  the  college,  "full  of  zeal  and  logic," 
to  try  him  with  hard  questions. 

Soon  after  this  his  face  was  turned  towards 
Europe.  He  resolved  to  make  his  way  to 
England,  via  Constantinople,  to  recruit  his 
failing  health,  and  perhaps  to  bring  back 
his  beloved  one  with  him  to  India.  The 
fragments  which  record  his  last  journey  are 
painfully  interesting.  Shattered  in  health, 
enduring  the  severest  privations,  driven  along 
with  relentless  haste  in  spite  of  failing  strength 
by  a  heartless  dragoman — "  the  merciless 
Hassan" — but  bearing  all  with  the  spirit  of 
a  martyr  and  a  saint,  he  lay  down  to  die  at 
Tocat,  on  the  i6th  of  October,  1812,  at  the 
earlyageof  thirty-one,  without  a  friend  to  com- 
fort him,  without  one  Christian  near  to  smooth 
his  dying  pillow,  or  to  catch  his  parting  words. 
Whether  he  died  of  exhaustion,  or  of  the 
plague  which  was  then  raging,  none  can  tell. 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  27 

The  last  entry  in  his  journal,  ten  days 
before  his  death,  is  this : — 

"  Oct.  6th. — No  horses  being  to  be  had,  I  had  an  un- 
expected repose.  I  sat  in  the  orchard,  and  thought  with 
sweet  comfort  and  peace  of  my  God, — in  soUtude  my 
Company,  my  Friend,  and  Comforter.  Oh  !  when  shall 
time  give  place  to  eternity  ?  when  shall  appear  that  new 
heaven  and  that  new  earth  wherein  dwelleth  righteous- 
ness ?  There — there  shall  in  nowise  enter  anything  that 
defileth ;  none  of  that  wickedness  which  has  made  men 
worse  than  beasts ;  none  of  those  corruptions  that  add 
still  more  to  the  miseries  of  mortality  shall  be  seen  or 
heard  of  any  more." 

The  love  and  piety  of  Christian  brethren 
have  in  later  years  erected  a  suitable  memo- 
rial over  this  true  soldier  of  the  cross.  They 
found  the  rude  slab  that  covered  his  grave 
concealed  beneath  the  sand  of  a  mountain 
stream,  but  so  little  was  known  of  him,  by 
those  who  had  buried  him,  that  it  is  said  they 
had  carved  thereon  the  name  of  '*  William 
Martyyiy  The  remains  were  lovingly  re- 
moved to  a  quiet  spot  in  the  mission  cemetery, 
and  help  was  obtained  from  the  East  India 
Company  and  other  sources  to  build  a  hand- 
some monument.  The  inscription  in  four 
different  languages  is  as  follows: — 


28  MODERN  HEROES   OF 

REV.   HENRY   MARTYN,    M.A., 

CHAPLAIN  OF  THE  EAST  INDIA  COMPANY,  BORN  AT  TRURO, 

IN  ENGLAND,    ON    THE    i8tH    FEBRUARY,   1781,  DIED 

AT   TOCAT,    ON    THE    i6tH    OCTOBER,    l8l2. 

HE  LABOURED   FOR   MANY  YEARS   IN   THE   EAST,    STRIVING 

TO    BENEFIT    MANKIND,     BOTH     IN     THIS    WORLD 

AND    FOR    THAT    TO    COME. 

HE  TRANSLATED  THE  HOLY  SCRIPTURES  INTO  HINDUSTANI 

AND    PERSIAN,    AND    MADE    IT    HIS    GREAT    OBJECT 

TO    PROCLAIM    TO    ALL   MEN    THE    GOD    AND 

SAVIOUR    OF   WHOM   THEY   TESTIFY. 

HE    WILL    LONG    BE     REMEMBERED      IN     THE    COUNTRIES 

WHERE    HE   WAS    KNOWN,    AS    "a    MAN    OF   GOD." 

MAY  TRAVELLERS    OF    ALL   NATIONS,  AS    THEY    STEP  ASIDE 

AND  LOOK  ON  THIS  MONUMENT,  BE   LED  TO  HONOUR, 

LOVE,    AND    SERVE   THE    GOD    AND    SAVIOUR   OF 

THIS    DEVOTED    MISSIONARY  ! 

The   gifted   pen    of  Lord    Macaulay   has 
furnished  another  epitaph  : — 

"  Here  Martyn  lies  !     In  manhood's  early  bloom 
The  Christian  hero  found  a  pagan  tomb ; 
Religion,  sorrowing  o'er  her  favourite  son, 
Points  to  the  glorious  trophies  which  he  won — 
Eternal  trophies,  not  with  slaughter  red, 
Not  stained  with  tears  by  hopeless  captives  shed. 
But  trophies  of  the  Cross  ;  for  that  dear  name 
Through  every  form  of  danger,  death,  and  shame, 
Onward  he  journeyed  to  a  happier  shore, 
Where  danger,  death,  and  shame  are  known  no  more." 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  29 

For  ourselves,  a  prayer  in  one  of  his  earliest 
journals  seems  best  to  express  the  wishes  of 
our  hearts,  both  with  respect  to  the  influ- 
ence of  his  own  memory,  and  of  that  higher 
example  which  ruled  his  life : — 

"  Memoria  tua  sancta,  et  dulcedo  tua  beatissima  pos- 
sideant  animam  meam,  atque  in  invisibilium  amorem 
rapiant  illam." 


II. 

WILLIAM  CAREY.    INDIA,    1793— 1834. 

There  is  a  story  told  about  the  subject  of 
the  following  sketch  which  may  be  repeated 
here  by  way  of  introduction.  It  is  said  that 
long  after  he  had  attained  to  fame  and  emi- 
nence in  India,  being  Professor  of  oriental 
languages  in  the  college  of  Fort  William, 
honoured  with  letters  and  medals  from  royal 
hands,  and  able  to  write  F.L.S.,  F.G.S., 
F.A.S.,  and  other  symbols  of  distinction 
after  his  name,  he  was  dining  one  day  with 
a  select  company  at  the  Governor-General's, 
when  one  of  the  guests,  with  more  than 
questionable  taste,  asked  an  aide-de-camp 
present,  in  a  whisper  loud  enough  to  be 
heard  by  the  professor,  whether  Dr.  Carey 
had  not  once  been  a  shoemaker.  "  No,  sir," 
immediately  answered  the  doctor,  ''  onl}'  a 
cobbler  !  "      Whether  he  was   proud  of  it. 


32  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

we  cannot  say ;  that  he  had  no  need  to  be 
ashamed  of  it,  we  are  sure.  He  had  out- 
lived the  day  when  Edinburgh  reviewers 
tried  to  heap  contempt  on  "  consecrated 
cobblers,"  and  he  had  established  his  right  to 
be  enrolled  amongst  the  aristocracy  of  learn- 
ing and  philanthropy. 

Some  fifty  years  before  this  incident  took 
place,  a  visitor  might  have  seen  over  a  small 
shop  in  a  Northamptonshire  village  a  sign- 
board with  the  following  inscription  ; — 

Second-hand  Shoes  Bought  and  Sold. 
WILLIAM   CAREY. 

The  owner  of  this  humble  shop  was  the  son 
of  a  poor  schoolmaster,  who  inherited  a 
taste  for  learning;  and  though  he  was  con- 
signed to  the  drudgery  of  mending  boots 
and  shoes,  and  was  even  then  a  sickly,  care- 
worn man,  in  poverty  and  distress,  with  a 
delicate  and  unsympathizing  wife,  he  lost 
no  opportunity  of  acquiring  information  both 
in  languages  and  natural  history,  and  taught 
himself  drawing  and  painting.     He  always 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  33 

worked  with  lexicons  and  classics  open  upon 
his  bench  ;  so  that  Scott,  the  commentator, 
to  whom  it  is  said  that  he  owed  his  earliest 
religious  impressions,  used  to  call  that  shop 
"  Mr.  Carey's  college."  His  tastes — we 
ought  rather  to  say  God's  providence — soon 
led  him  to  open  a  village  school ;  and  as  he 
belonged  to  the  Baptist  community,  he  com- 
bined with  the  office  of  schoolmaster  that  of 
a  preacher  in  their  little  chapel  at  Moulton, 
with  the  scanty  salary  of^  1 6  a  year.  Strange 
to  say,  it  was  whilst  giving  his  daily  lessons 
in  geography  that  the  flame  of  missionary 
zeal  was  kindled  in  his  bosom.  As  he  looked 
upon  the  vast  regions  depicted  on  the  map 
of  the  world,  he  began  to  ponder  on  the 
spiritual  darkness  that  brooded  over  so  many 
of  them,  and  this  led  him  to  collect  and 
collate  information  on  the  subject,  until  his 
whole  mind  was  occupied  with  the  absorbing 
theme. 

It  so  happened  that  a  gathering  of  Baptist 
ministers  at  Northampton  invited  a  subject 
for  discussion,  and  Carey,  who  was  present, 
at  once  proposed   '*  The  duty  of  Christians 

3 


34  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

to  attempt  the  spread  of  the  Gospel  amongst 
heathen  nations."  The  proposal  fell  amongst 
them  like  a  bombshell,  and  the  young  man 
was  almost  shouted  down  by  those  who 
thought  such  a  scheme  impracticable  and 
wild.  Even  Andrew  Fuller,  who  eventually 
became  his  great  supporter,  confessed  that 
he  found  himself  ready  to  exclaim,  "  If 
the  Lord  would  make  windows  in  heaven, 
might  this  thing  be  ?  "  But  Carey's  zeal  was 
not  to  be  quenched.  He  brought  forward 
the  topic  again  and  again  ;  he  wrote  a 
pamphlet  on  the  subject  ;  and  on  his  re- 
moval to  a  more  important  post  of  duty  at 
Leicester,  he  won  over  several  influential 
persons  to  his  views.  It  was  at  this  time 
(1792)  he  preached  his  famous  sermon  from 
Isaiah  liv.  2,  3,  and  summed  up  its  teaching 
in  these  two  important  statements  :  (i) 
"  Expect  great  things  from  God,"  and  (2) 
"Attempt  great  things  for  God."  This 
led  to  the  formation  of  the  Baptist  Mis- 
sionary Society;  and  Carey,  at  the  age  of 
thirty-three,  proved  his  sincerity  by  volun- 
teering  to    be   its   first    messenger   to   the 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  35 

heathen.  Andrew  Fuller  had  said,  "  There 
is  a  gold  mine  in  India  ;  but  it  seems  as 
deep  as  the  centre  of  the  earth  ;  who  will 
venture  to  explore  it ? "  "I  will  go  down," 
responded  William  Carey,  in  words  never 
to  be  forgotten,  **  but  remember  that  you 
must  hold  the  rope."  The  funds  of  the 
Society  amounted  at  the  time  to  ^13  2s.  6d. 
But  the  chief  difficulties  did  not  arise  out 
of  questions  of  finance.  The  East  India 
Company,  sharing  the  jealousy  against 
missionary  effort,  which,  alas  !  at  that  time 
was  to  be  found  amongst  the  chief  states- 
men of  the  realm,  and  amongst  prelates  of 
the  Established  Church  as  well  as  amono-st 
Nonconformist  ministers,  were  opposed  to 
all  such  efforts,  and  no  one  could  set  his 
foot  upon  the  Company's  territory  without 
a  special  licence.  The  missionary  party 
and  their  baggage  were  on  board  the  Earl 
of  Oxford^  and  the  ship  was  just  ready  to 
sail,  when  an  information  was  laid  against 
the  captain  for  taking  a  person  on  board 
without  an  order  from  the  Company,  and 
forthwith   the   passengers  and   their  goods 


36  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

were  hastily  put  on  shore,  and  the  vessel 
weighed  anchor  for  Calcutta,  leaving  them 
•behind,  disappointed  and  disheartened. 

They  returned  to  London.  Mr.  Thomas, 
who  was  Carey's  companion  and  brother 
missionary,  went  to  a  coffee-house,  when,  to 
use  his  own  language,  "  to  the  great  joy  of 
a  bruised  heart,  the  waiter  put  a  card  into 
my  hand,  whereon  were  written  these  life- 
giving  words  :  '  A  Danish  East  Indiaman^ 
No.  lo,  Cannon  Street.''  No  more  tears  that 
night.  Our  courage  revived ;  we  fled  to 
No.  lo,  Cannon  Street,  and  found  it  was 
the  office  of  Smith  and  Co.,  agents,  and 
that  Mr.  Smith  was  a  brother  of  the  cap- 
tain's ;  that  this  ship  had  sailed,  as  he 
supposed,  from  Copenhagen ;  was  hourly 
expected  in  Dover  roads  ;  would  make  no 
stay  there;  and  the  terms  were  ^loo  for 
each  passenger,  £^o  for  a  child,  and  ^25 
for  an  attendant."  This  of  course  brought 
up  the  financial  difficulty  in  a  new  and 
aggravated  form ;  but  the  generosity  of  the 
agent  and  owner  of  the  ship  soon  overcame 
it,    and  within    twenty- four   hours   of    their 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  37 

return  to  London,  Mr.  Carey  and  his  party 
embarked  for  Dover ;  and  on  the  13th  June, 
1793,  they  found  themselves  on  board  the 
Kron  Princessa  Maria,  where  they  were 
treated  with  the  utmost  kindness  by  the 
captain,  who  admitted  them  to  his  own 
table,  and  provided  them  with  special 
cabins. 

The  delay,  singularly  enough,  removed 
one  of  Carey's  chief  difficulties  and  regrets. 
His  wife,  who  was  physically  feeble,  and 
whose  deficiency,  in  respect  to  moral  in- 
trepidity, was  afterwards  painfully  accounted 
for  by  twelve  years  of  insanity  in  India,  had 
positively  refused  to  accompany  him,  and 
he  had  consequently  made  up  his  mind  to 
go  out  alone.  She  was  not  with  him  when 
he  and  his  party  were  suddenly  expelled 
from  the  English  ship ;  but  she  was  so 
wrought  upon  by  all  that  had  occurred,  as 
well  as  by  renewed  entreaties,  that  with  her 
sister  and  her  five  children  she  set  sail  with 
him  for  Calcutta. 

Difficulties  of  various  kinds  surrounded 
them  upon  their  arrival  in  India.     Poverty, 


38  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

fevers,  bereavement,  the  sad  illness  of  his 
wife,  the  jealousy  of  the  Government,  all 
combined  to  render  it  necessary  that  for  a 
while  Carey  should  betake  himself  to  an 
employment  in  the  Sunderbunds,  where  he 
had  often  to  use  his  gun  to  supply  the  wants 
of  his  family ;  and  eventually  he  went  to  an 
indigo  factory  at  Mudnabully,  where  he 
hoped  to  earn  a  livelihood.  But  he  kept 
the  grand  project  of  his  life  distinctly  in 
view ;  he  set  himself  to  the  acquisition  of 
the  language,  he  erected  schools,  he  made 
missionary  tours,  he  began  to  translate  the 
New  Testament,  and  above  all  he  worked  at 
his  printing  press,  which  was  set  up  in  one 
corner  of  the  factory,  and  was  looked  upon 
by  the  natives  as  his  god. 

Carey's  feelings  at  this  time  with  regard 
to  his  work  will  be  best  expressed  in  the 
following  passage  from  a  letter  to  his  sisters : 
*'  I  know  not  what  to  say  about  the  mission. 
I  feel  as  a  farmer  does  about  his  crop ; 
sometimes  I  think  the  seed  is  springing,  and 
then  I  hope  ;  a  little  time  blasts  all,  and  my 
hopes  are  gone  like  a  cloud.  ...  I  preach 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  39 

every  day  to  the  natives,  and  twice  on  the 
Lord's  Day  constantly,  besides  other  itine- 
rant labours ;  and  I  try  to  speak  of  Jesus 
Christ  and  Him  crucified,  and  of  Him 
alone ;  but  my  soul  is  often  dejected  to  see 
no  fruit."  And  then  he  goes  on  to  speak 
of  that  department  of  his  labour  in  which  his 
greatest  achievements  were  ultimately  to  be 
won  :  "  The  work  of  translation  is  going  on, 
and  I  hope  the  whole  New  Testament  and 
the  five  books  of  Moses  may  be  completed 
before  this  reaches  you.  It  is  a  pleasant 
work  and  a  rich  reward,  and  I  trust,  when- 
ever it  is  published,  it  will  soon  prevail,  and 
put  down  all  the  Shastras  of  the  Hindus. 
.  .  .  The  translation  of  the  Scriptures  I 
look  upon  to  be  one  of  the  greatest  desi- 
derata in  the  world,  and  it  has  accordingly 
occupied  a  considerable  part  of  my  time  and 
attention." 

Five  or  six  years  of  patient  unrequited 
toil  passed  by,  and  then  four  additional 
labourers  were  sent  out  by  the  Society  to 
Carey's  help.  Two  of  them  will  never  be 
forgotten,  and  the  names  of  Carey,  Marsh- 


40  MODERN  HEROES   OF 

man,  and  Ward  will  ever  be  inseparably 
linked  in  the  history  of  Indian  missions. 
Ward  had  been  a  printer ;  and  it  was  a 
saying  of  Carey's,  addressed  to  him  in 
England,  that  led  him  to  adopt  a  mission- 
ary's life:  *'We  shall  want  you,"  said  he, 
*'  in  a  few  years,  to  print  the  Bible  ;  you 
must  come  after  us."  Marshman  had  been 
an  assistant  in  a  London  book-shop,  but 
soon  found  that  his  business  there  was  not 
to  his  taste,  as  he  wished  to  know  more 
about  the  contents  of  books  than  about  their 
covers ;  so  he  set  up  a  school  at  Bristol, 
mastered  Greek  and  Latin,  Hebrew  and 
Syriac,  and  became  prosperous  in  the  world; 
but  he  gave  up  all  to  join  Carey  in  his 
noble  enterprise,  and  moreover,  brought  out 
with  him,  as  a  helper  in  the  mission,  a  young 
man  whom  he  himself  had  been  the  means 
of  converting  from  infidelity.  Marshman 's 
wife  was  a  cultivated  woman,  and  her 
boarding  school  in  India  brought  in  a 
good  revenue  to  the  mission  treasury.  His 
daughter  married  Henry  Havelock,  who 
made  for  himself  as  great  a    name  in   the 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  41 


military  annals  of  his  country  as  his  illus- 
trious father-in-law  had  won  for  himself  in 
the  missionary  history  of  the  world. 

The  jealous  and  unchristian  policy  of  the 
East  India  Company  would  not  allow  the 
newly  arrived  missionaries  to  join  their 
brethren,  and  they  were  compelled  to  seek 
shelter  under  a  foreign  flag.  Fortunately 
for  the  cause  of  missions,  a  settlement  had 
been  secured  by  the  Danes  at  Serampore, 
some  sixteen  miles  up  the  river  from  Cal- 
cutta, and  it  now  proved  "  a  city  of  refuge" 
to  Eno-lishmen  who  had  been  driven  from 
territory  which  owned  the  British  sway. 
The  governor  of  the  colony,  Colonel  Bie, 
was  a  grand  specimen  of  his  race ;  he  had 
been  in  early  days  a  pupil  of  Schwartz,  and 
he  rejoiced  in  knowing  that  the  kings  of 
Denmark  had  been  the  first  Protestant 
princes  that  ever  encouraged  missions 
amongst  the  heathen.  He  gave  the  exiled 
missionaries  a  generous  welcome,  and  again 
and  again  gallantly  resisted  all  attempts  to 
deprive  them  of  his  protection,  declaring 
that  "  if  the  British  Government  still  refused 


42  MODERN  HEROES   OF 

to  sanction  their  continuance  in  India,  they 
should  have  the  shield  of  Denmark  thrown 
over  them  if  they  would  remain  at  Seram- 
pore."  Carey  determined,  though  it  was 
accompanied  with  personal  loss  to  himself, 
to  join  his  brethren  at  Serampore,  and  the 
mission  soon  was  organized  in  that  place, 
which  became,  so  to  speak,  *'  the  cradle  of 
Indian  missions."  It  possessed  many  ad- 
vantages :  it  was  only  sixty  miles  from 
Nuddea,  and  was  within  a  hundred  of  the 
Mahratta  country;  here  the  missionaries 
tcould  preach  the  Gospel  and  work  their 
printing  press  without  fear,  and  from  this 
place  they  could  pass  under  Danish  pass- 
ports to  any  part  of  India.  There  was  a 
special  providence  in  their  coming  to  Seram- 
pore at  the  time  they  did;  for  in  1801  it 
passed  ov^r  to  English  rule  without  the 
firing  of  a  shot. 

They  were  soon  at  work,  both  in  their 
schools  and  on  their  preaching  tours. 
Living  on  homely  fare,  and  working  for 
their  bread,  they  went  forth  betimes  in  pairs 
to  preach  the  word  of  the  living  God,  now 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  43 

in  the  streets  or  in  the  bazaars,  now  in  the 
midst  of  heathen  temples,  attracting  crowds 
to  hear  them  by  the  sweet  hymns  which 
Carey  had  composed  in  the  native  tongue, 
and  inviting  inquirers  to  the  mission-house 
for  further  instruction.  The  first  convert 
was  baptized,  in  the  same  year,  on  the  day 
after  Christmas.  His  name  was  Krishnu. 
He  had  been  brought  to  the  mission-house 
for  medical  relief,  and  was  so  influenced  by 
what  he  saw  and  heard,  that  he  resolved  to 
become  a  Christian.  On  breaking  caste  by 
eating  with  the  missionaries,  he  was  seized 
by  an  enraged  mob,  and  dragged  before  the 
magistrate,  but  to  their  dismay  he  was 
released  from  their  hands.  Carey  had  the 
pleasure  of  performing  the  ceremony  of 
baptism  with  his  own  hands,  in  presence  of 
the  governor  and  a  crowd  of  natives  and 
Europeans.  It  was  his  first  recompence 
after  seven  years  of  toil,  and  it  soon  led  the 
way  to  other  conversions.  Amongst  the  rest, 
a  high-caste  Brahmin  divested  himself  of 
his  sacred  thread,  joined  the  Christian 
ranks,  and  preached  the  faith  which  he  once 


44  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

destroyed.  Krishna  became  an  efficient 
helper,  and  built  at  his  own  expense  the  first 
place  of  worship  for  native  Christians  in 
Bengal.  Writing  about  him  twelve  years 
after  his  baptism,  Carey  says,  "  He  is  now 
a  steady,  zealous,  well-informed,  and  I  may 
add  eloquent  minister  of  the  Gospel,  and 
preaches  on  an  average  twelve  or  fourteen 
times  every  week  in  Calcutta  and  its 
neighbourhood." 

But  we  must  turn  from  the  other  labourers 
and  the  general  work  of  the  mission  to  dwell 
upon  the  special  work  for  which  Carey's 
tastes  and  qualifications  so  admirably  fitted 
him.  We  have  seen  that  his  heart  was  set 
on  the  translation  and  printing  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, and  to  this  from  the  outset  he  sedu- 
lously devoted  himself.  On  the  17th  March, 
1800,  the  first  sheet  of  the  Bengali  New 
Testament  was  ready  for  the  press,  and  in 
the  next  year  Carey  was  able  to  say,  "  I 
have  lived  to  see  the  Bible  translated  into 
Bengali,  and  the  whole  New  Testament 
printed."  But  this  was  far  from  being  the 
end    of  Carey's    enterprise.     In    1806,    the 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  45 

Serampore  missionaries  contemplated  and 
issued  proposals  for  rendering-  the  Holy 
Scriptures  into  fifteen  oriental  languages, 
viz.,  Sanscrit,  Bengali,  Hindustani,  Persian, 
Mahratta,  Guzarathi,  Oriya,  Kurnata,  Te- 
linga,  Burman,  Assam,  Boutan,  Thibetan, 
Malay,  and  Chinese.  Professor  Wilson,  the 
Boden  Professor  of  Sanscrit  at  Oxford,  has 
told  us  how  this  proposal  was  more  than 
accomplished  :  '*  They  published,"  he  says, 
"  in  the  course  of  about  five-and-twenty 
years,  translations  of  portions  of  the  Old 
and  New  Testament,  more  or  less  consider- 
able, in  forty  different  dialects."  It  is  not 
pretended  that  they  were  conversant  with 
all  these  forms  of  speech,  but  they  employed 
competent  natives,  and  as  they  themselves 
were  masters  of  Sanscrit  and  several  ver- 
nacular dialects,  they  were  able  to  guide 
and  superintend  them. 

In  all  this  work  Dr.  Carey  (for  the  degree 
of  Doctor  of  Divinity  had  been  bestowed  on 
him  by  a  learned  university)  took  a  leading 
part.  Possessed  of  at  least  six  different 
dialects,  a  thorough  master  of  the  Sanscrit, 


46  MODERN  HEROES   OF 

which  Is  the  parent  of  the  whole  family,  and 
gifted  besides  with  a  rare  genius  for  philo- 
logical investigation,  "  he  carried  the  pro- 
ject," says  the  professor,  "to  as  successful 
an  issue  as  could  have  been  expected  from 
the  bounded  faculties  of  man."  And  when 
it  is  remembered  that  he  began  his  work 
at  a  time  when  there  were  no  helps  or 
appliances  for  his  studies;  when  grammars 
and  dictionaries  of  these  dialects  were  un- 
known, and  had  to  be  constructed  by 
himself;  when  even  manuscripts  of  them 
were  scarce,  and  printing  was  utterly  un- 
known to  the  natives  of  Bengal,  the  work 
which  he  not  only  set  before  him,  but 
accomplished,  must  be  admitted  to  have 
been  Herculean.  Frequently  did  he  weary 
out  three  pundits  in  the  day,  and  to  the 
last  hour  of  his  life  he  never  intermitted 
his  labours.  The  following  apology  for 
not  engaging  more  extensively  in  corre- 
spondence will  be  read  with  interest,  and 
allowed  to  be  a  sufficient  one : — "  I  trans- 
late from  Bengali  and  from  Sanscrit  into 
English.     Every  proof-sheet  of  the  Bengali 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  47 

and  Mahratta  Scriptures  must  go  three 
times  at  least  through  my  hands.  A 
dictionary  of  the  Sanscrit  goes  once  at 
least  through  my  hands.  I  have  written 
and  printed  a  second  edition  of  the  Bengali 
grammar,  and  collected  materials  for  a 
Mahratta  dictionary.  Besides  this,  I  preach 
twice  a  week,  frequently  thrice,  and  attend 
upon  m}''  collegiate  duties.  I  do  not  men- 
tion this  because  I  think  my  work  a  burden 
— it  is  a  real  pleasure — but  to  show  that 
my  not  writing  many  letters  is  not  because 
I  neglect  my  brethren,  or  wish  them  to 
cease  writing  to  me." 

Carey  was  by  no  means  a  man  of  brilliant 
genius,  still  less  was  he  a  man  of  warm 
enthusiasm ;  he  had  nothing  of  the  senti- 
mental, or  speculative,  or  imaginative  in 
his  disposition ;  but  he  was  a  man  of  un- 
tiring energy  and  indomitable  perseverance. 
Difficulties  seemed  only  to  develop  the  one 
and  to  increase  the  other.  These  difficul- 
ties arose  from  various  quarters,  sometimes 
from  the  opposition  of  the  heathen,  some- 
times  from  the  antagonism  of  the  British 


48  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

Government,  sometimes,  and  more  painfully, 
from  the  misapprehensions  orinjudiciousness 
of  the  Society  at  home ;  but  he  never  was 
dismayed.  On  the  contrary,  he  gathered 
arguments  for  progress  from  the  opposition 
that  was  made  to  it.  "  There  is,"  he  writes 
"a  very  considerable  difference  in  the 
appearance  of  the  mission,  which  to  me  is 
encouraging.  The  Brahmins  are  now  most 
inveterate  in  their  opposition  ;  they  oppose 
the  Gospel  with  the  utmost  virulence,  and 
the  very  name  of  Jesus  Christ  seems 
abominable  in  their  ears."  And  all  this 
is  the  more  remarkable,  when  we  remember 
that  he  was  by  nature  indolent.  He  says  of 
himself,  "  No  man  ever  living  felt  inertia 
to  so  great  a  degree  as  I  do."  He  was 
in  all  respects  a  man  of  principle,  and  not 
of  impulse.  Kind  and  gentle,  he  was  yet 
firm  and  unwavering.  Disliking  compli- 
ments and  commendations  for  himself,  it 
was  not  his  habit  to  bestow  them  upon 
others.  Indeed,  he  tells  us  that  the  only 
attempt  which  he  ever  made  to  pay  a  com- 
pliment met  with  such  discouragement,  that 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  49 

he  never  had  any  inclination  to  renew  the 
attempt.  A  nephew  of  the  celebrated 
President  Edwards  called  upon  him  with  a 
letter  of  introduction,  and  Carey  congratu- 
lated him  on  his  relationship  to  so  great  a 
personage;  but  the  young  man  dryly  replied, 
*'  True,  sir,  but  every  tub  must  stand  on  its 
own  bottom." 

From  his  childhood  he  had  been  in 
earnest  in  respect  to  anything  he  under- 
took. He  once  tried  to  climb  a  tree  and 
reach  a  nest,  but  failed,  and  soon  came  to 
the  ground ;  yet,  though  he  had  to  limp 
home  bruised  and  wounded,  the  first  thing 
he  did,  when  able  again  to  leave  the  house, 
was  to  climb  that  same  tree  and  take  that 
identical  nest.  This  habit  of  perseverance 
followed  him  through  life.  One  evening, 
just  before  the  missionaries  retired  to  rest, 
the  printing  office  was  discovered  to  be  on 
fire,  and  in  a  short  time  it  was  totally 
destroyed.  Buildings,  types,  paper,  proofs, 
and,  worse  than  all,  the  Sanscrit  and  other 
translations  perished  in  the  flames.  Ten 
thousand    pounds'    worth    of  property   was 

4 


so  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

destroyed  that  night,  no  portion  of  which 
was  covered  by  insurance ;  but  under  the 
master  mind  of  Carey  the  disaster  was  soon 
retrieved.  A  portion  of  the  metal  was  re- 
covered from  the  wreck,  and  as  the  punches 
and  matrices  had  been  saved,  the  types 
were  speedily  recast.  Within  two  months 
the  printers  were  again  at  their  work ; 
within  two  more  the  sum  required  to  repair 
the  premises  had  been  collected  ;  and  within 
seven  the  Scriptures  had  been  re-translated 
into  the  Sanscrit  language.  Carey  preached 
on  the  next  Lord's-day  after  the  conflagra- 
tion, from  the  text,  *'  Be  still,  and  know  that 
I  am  God,"  and  set  before  his  hearers  two 
thoughts  :  (i)  God  has  a  sovereign  right  to 
dispose  of  us  as  He  pleases ;  (2)  we  ought 
to  acquiesce  in  all  that  God  does  with  us 
and  to  us.  Writing  to  a  friend  at  this 
time,  he  calmly  remarks  that  "  travelling 
a  road  the  second  time,  however  painful 
it  may  be,  is  usually  done  with  greater 
ease  and  certainty  than  when  we  travel 
it  for  the  first  time."  To  such  a  man 
success  was   already  assured,  and  by  such 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  51 

a  man  success  was  well  deserved.     And  it 
came. 

When  the  Government  looked  round  for 
a  suitable  man  to  fill  the  chair  of  oriental 
languages  in  their  college  at  Fort  William, 
their  choice  fell,  almost  as  a  necessity,  upon 
the  greatest  scholar  in  India,  and  so  the 
persecuted  missionary  became  the  honoured 
Professor  of  Sanscrit,  Bengali,  and  Mahratta, 
at  one  thousand  rupees  a  month.  He  stipu- 
lated, however,  that  he  would  accept  the 
office  only  on  the  condition  that  his  position 
as  a  missionary  should  be  recognized ;  and 
he  took  a  noble  revenge  upon  those  who 
had  so  long  opposed  his  work,  by  devoting 
the  whole  of  his  newly-acquired  salary  to 
its  further  extension.  His  new  position 
served  to  call  attention  to  missionary  work  ; 
and  by  degrees  a  better  feeling  sprang  up 
towards  it  both  at  home  and  abroad.  Carey 
and  his  companions  were  at  length  able  to 
preach  in  the  bazaars  of  Calcutta.  Fresh 
labourers  had  come  to  India.  Corrie, 
Browne,  Martyn,  and  Buchanan  were  stirring 
the  depths  of  Christian  sympathy  by  their 


52  MODERN  HEROES   OF 

work  and  by  their  appeals.  Grant,  Wilber- 
force,  and  Macaulay  were  rousing  the  British 
nation  to  some  faint  sense  of  duty ;  so  that 
when  the  charter  of  the  East  India  Company 
came  to  be  renewed  in  1813,  the  restrictive 
regulations  were  defeated  in  the  House  of 
Commons  by  a  majority  of  more  than  two 
to  one.  In  the  very  next  year  the  founda- 
tions of  the  Indian  Episcopate  were  laid ; 
and  in  the  following  year  Dr.  Middleton,  the 
first  Metropolitan  of  India  (having  Ceylon 
for  one  archdeaconry,  and  Australia  for 
another !)  was  visiting  the  Serampore  mis- 
sionaries, in  company  with  the  Governor- 
General,  and  expressing  his  admiration  and 
astonishment  at  their  work. 

Distinctions  crowded  fast  upon  the  North- 
amptonshire cobbler.  Learned  societies 
thought  themselves  honoured  by  admitting 
him  to  membership.  He  had  proved  him- 
self a  useful  citizen,  as  well  as  a  devoted 
missionary.  He  had  established  a  botanic 
garden,  and  edited  ''The  Flora  Indica ;  " 
he  had  founded  an  agricultural  society,  and 
was  elected  its  president ;  he  suggested  a 


THE  MISSION  FIELD. 


53 


plantation  committee  for  India,  and  was  its 
most  active  member;  he  collected  a  splendid 
museum  of  natural  history,  which  he  be- 
queathed to  his  college;  he  was  an  early 
associate  of  the  Asiatic  Society,  and  con- 
tributed largely  to  its  researches  ;  he  had 
translated  the  "  Ramayana,"  the  most 
ancient  poem  in  the  Sanscrit  language,  into 
three  volumes ;  he  was  a  constant  writer  in 
the  Friend  of  India  ;  he  founded  a  college 
of  his  own,  and  obtained  for  it  a  royal 
charter  from  the  King  of  Denmark ;  and 
in  these  and  other  ways  he  helped  forward 
the  moral  and  political  reforms  which  have 
done  so  much  for  Hindustan.  He  was  one 
of  the  first  to  memorialize  the  Government 
against  the  horrid  infanticides  at  Sangor, 
and  he  lived  to  see  them  put  down.  He 
was  early  in  the  field  to  denounce  the  mur- 
derous abominations  of  the  Suttee,  and  to 
oppose  to  them  the  authority  even  of  the 
Hindu  Vedas,  and  he  had  the  satisfaction 
of  seeing  them  abolished  by  Lord  William 
Bentinck.  He  protested  all  along  against 
the  pilgrim  tax,  and  the  support  afforded  by 


54  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

the  Bengal  Government  to  the  worship  of 
Juggernaut,  and  he  did  not  die  until  he 
saw  the  subject  taken  up  by  others  who 
carried  it  to  a  triumphant  issue.  What 
would  have  been  his  devout  gratitude,  had 
he  lived  to  see  the  last  links  of  connection 
between  the  Government  and  the  idol 
temples  severed  in  1840,  and  Hindu  and 
Mohammedan  laws,  which  inflicted  for- 
feiture of  all  civil  rights  on  those  who 
became  Christians,  abrogated  by  the  Lex 
Loci  Act  of  1850!  What  would  have  been 
the  joy  of  Carey,  of  Martyn,  or  of  Corrie, 
could  they  have  heard  the  testimony  borne 
to  the  character  and  success  of  missions  in 
India  by  Sir  Richard  Temple,  the  late 
Governor  of  Madras,  at  a  public  meeting 
held  last  year  in  Birmingham !  He  said, 
"  I  have  governed  a  hundred  and  five 
millions  of  the  inhabitants  of  India,  and  I 
have  been  concerned  with  eighty- five  millions 
more  in  my  official  capacity.  ...  I  have 
thus  had  acquaintance  with,  or  been  authen- 
tically informed  regarding,  nearly  all  the 
missionaries  of  all   the   societies   labouring 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  55 

In  India  within  the  last  forty  years.  .  .  . 
And  what  is  my  testimony  concerning  these 
men  ?  They  are  most  efficient  as  pastors 
of  their  native  flocks,  and  as  evangelists  in 
preaching  in  cities  and  villages  from  one 
end  of  India  to  the  other.  In  the  work  of 
converting  the  heathen  to  the  knowledge 
and  practice  of  the  Christian  religion,  they 
show  great  learning  in  all  that  relates  to  the 
native  religion  and  to  the  caste  system.  .  .  . 
They  are,  too,  the  active  and  energetic 
friends  of  the  natives  in  all  times  of  danger 
and  emergency." 

So  far  as  to  the  character  of  the  mission- 
aries. Speaking  of  their  success,  he  said, 
*'  It  has  sometimes  been  stated  in  the  public 
prints,  which  speak  with  authority,  that  their 
progress  has  been  arrested.  Now,  is  this 
really  the  case  ?  Remember  that  missionary 
work  in  India  began  in  the  year  18 13,  or 
sixty-seven  years  ago.  There  are  in  the 
present  year  not  less  than  350,000  native 
Christians,  besides  150,000  scholars,  who, 
though  not  all  Christians,  are  receiving 
Christian  instruction  ;  that  is,  500,000  people, 


56  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

or  half  a  million,  brought  under  the  influence 
of  Christianity.  And  the  annual  rate  of  in- 
crease in  the  number  of  native  Christians  has 
progressed  with  advancing  years.  At  first 
it  was  reckoned  by  hundreds  yearly,  then  by 
thousands,  and  further  on  by  tens  of  thou- 
sands. .  .  .  But  it  will  be  asked,  what  is  the 
character  of  these  Christian  converts  in  India? 
what  practically  is  their  conduct  as  Chris- 
tians ?  Now,  I  am  not  about  to  claim  for 
them  any  extreme  degree  of  Christian  per- 
fection. But  speaking  of  them  as  a  class,  I 
venture  to  affirm  that  the  Christian  religion 
has  exercised  a  dominant  influence  over  their 
lives,  and  has  made  a  decided  mark  on  their 
conduct.  They  adhere  to  their  faith  under 
social  difficulties.  Large  sacrifices  have  to 
be  made  by  them.  .  .  .  The  number  of 
apostates  may  almost  be  counted  on  the 
fingers.  .  .  .  There  is  no  such  thing  as  decay 
in  religion,  nor  any  retrogression  towards 
heathenism.  On  the  contrary,  they  exhibit 
a  laudable  desire  for  the  self-support  and 
government  of  their  Church.  ...  I  believe 
that  if  hereafter,  during  any  revolution,  any 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  5 

attempts  were  to  be  made  by  secular  violence 
to  drive  the  native  Christians  back  from  their 
religion,  many  of  them  would  attest  their 
faith  by  martyrdom." 

Carey  was  not  the  man  to  wish  or  to 
expect  that  Government  should  step  out  of 
its  sphere  in  order  to  enforce  Christianity 
upon  the  natives.  *'  Do  you  not  think, 
Dr.  Carey,"  asked  a  Governor-General, 
"  that  it  would  be  wrong  to  force  the  Hindus 
to  be  Christians?"  "My  Lord,"  was  the 
reply,  "the  thing  is  impossible;  we  may, 
indeed,  force  men  to  be  hypocrites,  but  no 
power  on  earth  can  force  men  to  become 
Christians."  Carey,  however,  was  too  clear- 
headed not  to  see,  and  too  honest  not  to  say, 
that  it  was  one  thing  to  profess  neutrality, 
and  another  to  sanction  idolatry ;  that  it  was 
one  thing  to  abstain  from  using  earthly 
power  to  propagate  truth,  and  quite  another 
to  thwart  rational  and  scriptural  methods  of 
diffusing  it.  And  he  was  too  much  of  a 
statesman,  as  well  as  too  much  of  a  mission- 
ary, not  to  see  that  in  respect  to  some  tenets 
of  the  Hindu  system  it  would  be  impossible 


58  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

for  the  Government  eventually  to  remain 
neutral,  inasmuch  as  they  subverted  the  very 
foundations  upon  which  all  government  is 
based. 

Such  was  the  man  who  in  the  sequel  won 
deserved  honour  even  from  hostile  critics, 
and  earned  high  encomiums  from  even  pre- 
judicedjudges.  Well  might  Lord  Wellesley, 
who  was,  perhaps,  the  greatest  of  Indian 
statesmen,  say  concerning  him,  after  listen- 
ing to  the  first  Sanscrit  speech  ever  delivered 
in  India  by  an  European,  and  hearing  that  in 
it  Carey  had  recognized  his  noble  efforts  for 
the  good  of  India,  **  I  esteem  such  a  testi- 
mony from  such  a  man  a  greater  honour  than 
the  applause  of  courts  and  parliaments." 

Still,  amidst  all  his  labours  and  all  his 
honours,  he  kept  the  missionary  enterprise 
distinctly  in  view,  and  during  the  forty  years 
of  his  residence  in  India  he  gave  it  the  fore- 
most place.  Several  opportunities  and  no 
small  inducements  for  returning  to  his  native 
land  were  presented  to  him,  but  he  declined 
them  all.  "  I  account  this  my  own  country, " 
he  said,  "and  have  not  the  least  inclination 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  59 

to  leave  It;  "  and  he  never  did.  To  the  last 
his  translations  of  the  Scriptures  and  his 
printing-  press  were  his  chief  care  and  his 
chief  delight.  He  counted  it  so  sacred  a 
work,  that  he  believed  that  a  portion  of  the 
Lord's -day  could  not  be  better  employed 
than ,  in  correcting  his  proof-sheets.  In  his 
seventy-third  year,  when  weak  from  illness 
and  old  age,  and  drawing  near  to  death,  he 
writes,  **  I  am  now  only  able  to  sit  and  to  lie 
upon  my  couch,  and  now  and  then  to  read  a 
proof-sheet  of  the  Scriptures  ;  but  I  am  too 
weak  to  walk  more  than  across  the  house, 
nor  can  I  stand  even  a  few  minutes  without 
support."  His  last  work  was  to  revise 
his  Bengali  Bible,  and  on  completing  it  he 
says,  "  There  is  scarcely  anything  for  which 
I  desired  to  live  a  little  longer  so  much  as 
for  that." 

He  went  back  to  Serampore  to  die ;  and 
"  he  died  in  the  presence  of  all  his  brethren." 
It  must  have  been  a  touching  sight  to  see 
Dr.  Wilson,  the  Metropolitan  of  India,  stand- 
ing by  the  death-bed  of  the  dying  Baptist, 
and  asking  for  his  blessing.     It  bore  witness 


6o  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

to  the  large-heartedness  both  of  the  prelate 
and  of  the  missionary,  and  was  a  scene  that 
did  honour  alike  to  the  living  and  to  the 
dying.  Carey  in  his  will  directed  that  his 
funeral  should  be  as  plain  as  possible ;  that 
he  should  be  laid  in  the  same  grave  with 
his  second  wife,  the  accomplished  Charlotte 
Rumohr,  who  had  been  a  real  helper  to  him 
in  his  work ;  and  that  on  the  simple  stone 
which  marked  his  grave  there  should  be 
placed  this  inscription,  and  no  more: — 

William   Carey, 
Bom  August  I'jth,  1761;  died . 


Loving  hands  filled  up  the  blank  with  "  the 
<^th  June,  1834."  Before  he  died  he  had 
the  privilege  of  seeing  three  of  his  sons  en- 
gaged in  the  work  to  which  he  had  devoted 
his  own  life.  The  name  of  one  of  them 
will  meet  us  in  another  field  of  labour.  He 
had  aided  in  the  establishment  of  more 
than  thirty  different  missionary  stations  in 
various  parts  of  India,  and  these  were  minis- 
tered to  by  some  fifty  pastors,  one  half  of 
whom  were  natives  of  the  country.     He  had 


THE   MISSION  FIELD.  6i 

seen  a  goodly  number  of  converts  gathered 
from  heathenism  into  the  Christian  fold;  and 
he  had  provided  for  them,  and  for  multitudes 
who  were  to  follow,  the  sacred  Scriptures  in 
their  own  divers  tongues. 

He  sleeps  in  the  mission  burial  ground 
of  Serampore,  beside  Ward  and  Marshman. 
Ward  had  preceded  him  to  the  blessed  rest 
by  some  eleven  years,  Marshman  survived 
him  by  only  three.  They  had  lived  and 
worked  together  in  the  midst  of  trial  and 
opposition,  for  a  quarter  of  a  century,  and 
they  had  learned  to  love  one  another  as 
brothers.  They  had  "  coveted  no  man's 
silver  or  gold  or  apparel ;  "  their  '*  own 
hands  had  ministered  to  their  necessities." 
"  Marshman,"  says  his  biographer,  "  died 
like  his  colleagues,  in  graceful  poverty, 
having  devoted  little  short  of  ^40,000  to 
the  mission,  through  a  long  life  of  priva- 
tion. *'  Their  motives  and  their  support 
amidst  all  their  difficulties  and  dangers  may 
be  summed  up  in  the  following  lines,  which 
were  written  by  Ward  on  his  arrival  at 
Serampore  : — 


63  HEROES   OF  THE  MISSION  FIELD. 

"  Lord,  we  are  safe  beneath  Thy  shade, 
And  so  shall  be  'midst  India's  heat: 
What  should  a  missionary  dread, 
Since  devils  crouch  at  Jesus'  feet? 

"  There,  blessed  Saviour,  let  Thy  cross 
Win  many  Hindu  hearts  to  Thee  ; 
This  shall  make  up  for  every  loss, 
Whilst  Thou  art  ours  eternally." 

Speaking  of  this  illustrious  triumvirate,  a 
dignitary  of  our  Church  in  India  has  said, 
"  There  were  only  a  few  men  at  Serampore, 
but  they  were  all  giants."  Other  and  dis- 
tinguished missionaries  succeeded  them  in 
their  labours,  but  it  is  no  disparagement 
to  apply  to  them  the  language  used  con- 
cerning David's  mighty  men  :  "  Howbeit 
they  attained  not  unto  the  first  three ;  "  and 
we  may  add  concerning  Carey,  what  is  said 
of  the  Tachmonite,  *'  He  sat  in  the  seat,  the 
chief  amongst  the  captains." 


III. 

ADONIRAM  JUDSON.    BURMAH,  1813—1850. 

America  has  taken  a  prominent  place  In 
modern  missionary  effort.  For  a  century 
and  a  half  she  had  been  engaged  In  desultory 
efforts  for  the  heathen  on  her  own  continent, 
and  men  like  Elliott  and  Brainerd  had  done 
a  noble  work  for  the  perishing  Red  Indians. 
But  the  beginning  of  this  century  witnessed 
a  grand  outburst  of  missionary  spirit  beyond 
the  Atlantic,  and  this  spirit  soon  carried  its 
messengers  east  and  west  across  the  waters 
to  the  shores  of  the  Old  World,  where  now 
they  are  to  be  found  rivalling  both  in 
numbers  and  in  zeal  their  elder  European 
brethren.  Burmah,  India,  China,  Africa, 
and  the  Isles  of  the  Pacific  bear  witness  to 
their  labours ;  the  Turkish  Empire  stands 
pre-eminently  Indebted  to  their  efforts ;  and 
Lord  Stratford  de  Redcliffe  has  borne  such 


64  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

a  testimony  to  what  he  saw  and  knew  of 
American  missionaries  in  Syria,  Armenia, 
and  Kurdistan,  as  proves  their  title  to  a 
distinguished  place  amongst  the  warriors  of 
the  cross. 

Adoniram  Judson  (born  in  1788,  in  the 
home  of  a  Congregationalist  minister  in 
Massachusetts),  as  he  was  amongst  the  first 
of  his  countrymen  to  feel  this  new  impulse, 
so  was  he  confessedly  the  foremost  in  im- 
parting it  to  others.  The  mission  to  Burmah, 
which  was  the  first  outcome  of  this  awakened 
zeal,  and  in  some  respects  the  greatest  and 
noblest  field  of  its  victories,  must  always  be 
identified  with  him,  and  with  those  three 
illustrious  women  who  were  successively  his 
wives,  and  whose  names  and  labours  must 
for  ever  be  inseparably  linked  with  his.  In 
reading  the  eventful  story  of  the  Judsons,  so 
full  of  peril  and  of  patience,  so  marked  by 
suffering  and  success,  we  seem  as  if  we  had 
alighted  upon  some  grand  romance ;  but  we 
rise  from  its  perusal  with  a  deep  conviction  of 
its  stern  reality,  andwith  a  growing  admiration 
of  the  Christian  heroism  which  it  displays. 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  65 

Judson,  as  It  has  been  well  said,  was  "a 
missionary  of  the  apostolic  school."  Like 
others  who  have  led  the  van  in  the  assaults 
of  the  Gospel  upon  paganism,  he  was  a  man 
pre-eminently  endowed  both  by  nature  and 
by  grace  for  the  great  work  in  which  Provi- 
dence employed  him.  We  shall  find,  as  a 
rule,  that  it  is  not  the  intellectually  halt  and 
feeble  who  have  been  called  to  "jeopard 
their  lives  unto  the  death  in  the  high  places 
of  the  field,"  and  that  the  men  who  have 
gained  this  high  distinction  have  moreover 
been  baptized  in  a  remarkable  degree  "  with 
the  Holy  Ghost  and  with  power."  Such 
was  Judson.  The  early  precocity  of  his 
genius  may  be  gathered  from  the  fact  that 
at  three  years  of  age  he  could  read ;  that 
before  he  was  ten  he  had  gained  a  reputation 
for  solving  difficult  arithmetical  problems ; 
and  that  when  he  entered  college  at  sixteen, 
he  obtained  the  highest  place.  Bright, 
intellectual,  and  enthusiastic,  he  was  more- 
over extravagantly  ambitious.  His  father 
had  said  one  day  that  "  he  would  be  a  great 
man,"  and  a  great  man  he  resolved  to  be. 

5 


66  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

He  dreamt  of  being  a  statesman,  an  orator, 
a  poet,  and  he  built  his  castles  in  the  air 
accordingly ;  but  he  was  far  nearer  the 
truth  when,  at  four  years  of  age,  he  used  to 
collect  the  village  children  around  him,  and, 
mounted  upon  a  chair,  would  preach  to  them 
a  simple  gospel  with  singular  earnestness. 
His  father  and  mother  remembered  in  after 
years  that  the  favourite  hymn  with  which  he 
prefaced  these  infant  exercises  was  one 
beginning  with  the  prophetic  words — 

"  Go  preach  my  Gospel,  saith  the  Lord." 

Brought  up  in  a  pious  home,  he  had  been 
visited  by  serious  thoughts ;  but  religion 
seemed  to  stand  in  the  way  of  his  ambition, 
and  the  wave  of  French  infidelity  reached 
him  through  the  influence  of  a  brilliant  but 
sceptical  fellow-student.  Judson's  thoughts 
and  plans  became  consequently  unsettled. 
Now  we  find  him  teaching  a  school  at  Ply- 
mouth, now  attaching  himself  to  a  dramatic 
company,  now  touring  in  search  of  excite- 
ment through  the  Northern  States.  It  was 
during  this  tour  that  God  rescued  him  from 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  67 

infidelity  and  sin.  He  had  reached  a  country 
inn,  and  the  landlord  apologized  for  putting 
him  to  sleep  in  the  next  room  to  that  of  a 
young  man  who  was  dying,  but  he  had  none 
other  to  offer  him.  Sad  sounds  came  from 
that  sick  chamber  through  the  midnight 
hours,  and  they  stirred  up  solemn  thoughts 
and  anxious  inquiries  in  Judson's  breast.  He 
made  the  case  of  that  young  man  his  own, 
and  as  he  did  so  he  felt  the  shallowness  of 
his  own  newly-adopted  philosophy,  and  its 
insufficiency  to  sustain  him  in  the  hour  of 
death.  The  morning  dawned,  and  he  in- 
quired about  the  sufferer.  "  He  is  dead." 
He  asked  his  name,  and  was  stunned  at 
finding  that  it  was  that  of  his  friend — shall 
we  not  rather  say  of  his  tempter?  That 
morning  he  turned  his  horse's  head  towards 
home ;  God  had  begun  a  work  in  his  heart, 
which  resulted  in  true  conversion.  Soon  we 
find  him  in  the  calm  retirement  of  the  Theo- 
logical School  at  Andover,  patiently  inquiring 
into  the  truth  of  God,  and  ultimately  yielding 
himself  to  Christ  with  a  fulness  of  conviction 
and    satisfaction,    which    never    afterwards 


68  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

during  his  life   was   harassed   by   a   single 
doubt. 

Two  years  had  scarcely  passed  by  since 
that  memorable  night  at  the  wayside  inn. 
His  father  was  now  a  pastor  at  Plymouth, 
and  had  conceived  plans  for  his  son's  pre- 
ferment. The  minister  of  the  largest  church 
at  Boston  was  willing  to  take  young  Judson 
as  a  colleague,  and  the  parents,  delighted  at 
the  prospect,  complacently  apprised  him  of 
the  good  news.  "You  will  be  so  near 
home,"  said  the  mother.  But  Judson  did 
not  speak.  His  sister  chimed  in  with  her 
congratulations ;  and  then  the  young  man 
found  a  tongue,  and  earnestly  replied,  "  No, 
sister,  I  shall  never  live  in  Boston ;  I  have 
much  farther  to  go."  Two  years  before  he 
had  startled  them  by  the  announcement  of 
his  infidel  opinions ;  they  were  scarcely  less 
startled  now,  though  in  a  strangely  different 
way,  by  hearing  his  firm  resolve  to  be  a 
missionary  to  the  heathen. 

How  had  it  come  about?  He  had  met 
with  Buchanan's  "  Star  in  the  East,"  and 
this   had    awakened    the   missionary   spirit. 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  69 

He  had  read  Syme's  *'  Embassy  to  Ava," 
and  this  had  turned  his  whole  soul  towards 
Burmah  and  its  benighted  Buddhists.  The 
leaven  of  missionary  enterprise  had  begun 
to  work  in  the  Andover  seminary.  Three 
young  men — their  names  deserve  to  be 
recorded — Mills,  Richards,  and  Rice — had 
formed  themselves  into  a  missionary  society 
in  the  college,  with  the  object  of  training 
themselves  for  work  amongst  the  heathen. 
Judson  joined  them,  and  soon  became  the 
leading  spirit  of  the  devoted  band.  Some 
one  asked  him  in  later  life,  during  a  visit  to 
America,  whether  he  had  been  more  in- 
fluenced hy  faith  or  love  in  going  to  Burmah. 
He  paused  a  moment,  and  then  replied, 
"  There  was  in  me  at  that  time  little  of 
either;  but  in  thinking  of  what  did  influence 
me,  I  remember  a  time  out  in  the  woods 
behind  Andover  seminary,  when  I  was  almost 
disheartened.  Everything  looked  dark.  No 
one  had  gone  out  from  this  country.  The 
way  was  not  open.  The  field  was  far  distant, 
and  in  an  unhealthy  climate.  I  knew  not 
what   to   do.      All   at   once    Christ's    'last 


70  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

command'  seemed  to  come  to  my  heart 
directly  from  heaven.  I  could  doubt  no 
longer,  but,  determined  on  the  spot  to  obey 
it  at  all  hazards,  for  the  sake  of  pleasing  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ'''  And  then  he  added 
these  memorable  words,  "  If  the  Lord  wants 
you  for  missionaries,  He  will  send  that  word 
home  to  your  hearts.  If  He  does  so,  you 
neglect  it  at  your  peril !  ' ' 

Out  of  that  little  group  of  students,  as 
from  a  fruitful  germ,  grew  up  "  The 
American  Board  of  Commissioners  for 
Foreign  Missions,"  and  Judson  was  their 
earliest  and  noblest  agent.  But  first  he  was 
sent  to  England  (in  1811)  to  confer  with  the 
London  Missionary  Society,  and  on  the  way 
was  captured  by  a  French  privateer,  and 
confined  with  other  prisoners  in  the  hold. 
Here,  as  he  was  translating  from  his  Hebrew 
Bible  into  Latin,  the  doctor  discovered  him, 
and  contrived  his  release  from  this  part  of 
the  vessel.  Landed  at  Bayonne,  he  was 
marched  as  a  prisoner  through  the  streets, 
and  attracted  the  attention  of  a  fellow- 
countryman   by  exclaiming  against  the  in- 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  71 

justice  of  detaining  an  American.  This 
kindly  citizen  visited  the  dungeon  to  which 
Judson  had  been  consigned,  and  managed  to 
pass  the  prisoner  out  under  the  capacious 
folds  of  his  own  great  cloak.  Eventually 
Judson  made  his  way  to  England,  where  he 
was  kindly  received,  and  whence  he  was 
promised  help ;  but  this  foreign  aid  was  not 
needed,  for  the  American  Board  of  Missions 
had  already  attracted  large  support,  and 
Judson  soon  re-crossed  the  Atlantic,  and  was 
set  apart  for  his  grand  enterprise.  He  was  to 
go  to  some  Asiatic  field — in  India  or  Burmah, 
according  as  God's  providence  should  point 
the  way.  On  the  5th  February,  181 2,  he 
married  the  beautiful  Anne  Hasseltine; 
twelve  days  later  he  embarked  with  her  for 
Calcutta,  and  on  the  17th  of  June  they 
reached  their  destination. 

And  here  began  the  link  with  Serampore 
and  the  strange  events  which  led  to  the 
formation  of  the  Burmese  mission.  Carey 
and  his  fellow-labourers  invited  them  to  stay 
at  the  mission-house  ;  and  as  Judson's  views 
on  baptism  had  undergone  a  change  during 


72  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

the  voyage  out,  he  severed  his  connection 
with  the  American  Board,  and  resolved  to 
cast  in  his  lot  with  the  Baptist  missionaries. 
But  the  East  India  Company,  hostile  to  their 
work,  and  alarmed  at  this  new  influx  of 
missionary  labourers,  issued  a  peremptory 
order  that  they  should  return  to  their  own 
country.  It  so  happened  that  a  Mr.  Chater 
and  Felix  Carey  (a  son  of  the  famous 
Serampore  missionary)  had  gone  a  short  time 
previously  to  Rangoon,  to  pioneer  a  way  for 
missions  in  the  empire  of  *'  the  Golden 
Sovereign  of  land  and  water."  It  was  de- 
cided to  send  the  new-comers  thither  ;  but 
even  this  could  be  effected  only  by  stratagem. 
They  were  smuggled  on  board  a  vessel  for 
the  Mauritius,  but  were  detected,  and  forced 
to  disembark ;  they  contrived  to  get  on 
board  again,  and  on  reaching  St.  Louis 
found  that  they  must  visit  Madras  as  the 
only  way  of  reaching  Burmah.  Here  they 
narrowly  escaped  from  another  order  of  the 
Company,  and  eventually  in  a  crazy  vessel 
reached  Rangoon  in  July  1813,  half  dead 
with  sickness  and  discomfort. 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  73 

It  was  a  disheartening  and  a  gloomy  pro- 
spect that  lay  before  them.  There  was  at 
this  time  no  provision  made  for  their  support. 
They  were  in  a  land  of  slaves  ruled  over  by 
a  despotic  tyrant,  and  by  rapacious  viceroys, 
who  were  well  called  "  the  eaters  of  the 
provinces."  Brutal  murders  and  audacious 
robberies  were  of  continual  occurrence.  The 
mission-house  was  close  to  the  spot  where 
public  executions  were  constantly  taking 
place.  All  around  rose  the  gilded  pagodas 
where  the  great  Gaudama,  as  an  incarnation 
of  Buddha,  was  adored.  In  every  street 
were  seen  the  lamasaries,  or  homes  of  the 
priests,  who  were  reckoned  to  be  one  in 
every  thirty  of  the  population,  and  who 
taught  the  cheerless  creed  of  "  Nirwana,"  or 
annihilation.  Very  few  had  so  much  as 
heard  the  name  of  Jesus,  and  it  was  death, 
according  to  the  law,  to  renounce  the  faith 
of  Buddha,  which,  alas !  is  still  the  dreary 
creed  of  three  hundred  millions  of  the 
earth's  inhabitants.  No  marvel  then  that 
Judson  and  his  wife  should  record  that 
their  first  day  in    Burmah  was   "  the   most 


74  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

gloomy  and  distressing"  that  ever  they  had 
passed. 

But  the  devoted  pair  set  to  work  at  once, 
applying  themselves  to  the  acquisition  of  the 
spoken  tongue  and  of  Pali,  which  is,  so  to 
speak,  the  sacred  text  of  Ava.  Like  all  true 
Protestant  missionaries,  Judson  felt  that  if  he 
was  to  reach  their  hearts,  he  must  not  only 
speak  their  language,  but  that  he  must  also 
give  the  people  the  Word  of  God  in  their  own 
tongue.  The  Burmans  are  a  reading  people, 
and  this  was  an  additional  reason  for,  and  a 
fresh  stimulus  to,  his  work.  So  well  did  he 
succeed,  that  a  Burmese  governor,  who  re- 
ceived one  of  his  translations  four  years  after 
his  arrival,  could  scarcely  believe  that  it 
was  the  work  of  a  foreigner.  But  we  cannot 
dwell  on  this  portion  of  his  work.  We  may, 
however,  mention  here  that  in  1834,  after 
twenty  years  of  patient  toil,  he  completed 
his  translation  of  the  whole  Bible  ;  and  when 
the  last  page  passed  through  his  hands,  he 
knelt  down  and  prayed  "  for  the  forgiveness 
of  Heaven  on  all  the  sins  that  had  mingled 
with  his  labours,  and  commended  his  work 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  75 

to  the  mercy  and  grace  of  God,  to  be  used  as 
an  instrument  for  converting  the  heathen  to 
Himself."  There  was  then  no  grammar  nor 
dictionary  of  the  language,  and  this  made  his 
task  one  of  extreme  difficulty ;  but  before  he 
died  he  rendered  the  work  of  his  successors 
comparatively  light  by  compiling  a  grammar, 
and  nearly  completing  a  dictionary  of  the 
Burmese  tongue.  They  remain  to  this  day 
as  monuments  of  his  industry  and  talent,  and 
have  not  yet  been  superseded.  Nor  was  this 
all :  he  imported  a  printing  press  from 
Serampore,  and  a  printer  from  America 
(where  the  Baptists  had  adopted  his  mission), 
and  he  published  *'  A  Summary  of  Christian 
Doctrine,"  and  many  valuable  tracts,  the 
circulation  of  which  was  greatly  blessed. 

Four  years  having  been  spent  in  pre- 
liminary study,  Judson  went  to  Chittagong, 
to  try  and  find  amongst  the  native  Christians 
some  one  who  knew  the  Burmese  tongue, 
and  could  assist  him  in  his  work.  There  he 
was  unexpectedly  detained  for  seven  months; 
but  his  brave  wife  remained  at  her  post, 
with  other   missionaries    who    had    arrived 


76  MODERN  HEROES   OF 

at  Rangoon,  gathering  the  native  women 
around  her,  and  teaching  them  the  story  of 
redeeming  love.  When  persecution  broke 
out,  she  not  only  prevented  the  abandonment 
of  the  mission  by  her  firmness  and  decision, 
but  she  went  in  person  to  the  authorities,  and 
by  her  tact  and  address  obtained  a  repeal 
of  their  harsh  enactments.  When  cholera 
raged,  and  the  rest  of  the  party  resolved  to 
leave  for  Bengal  in  the  last  remaining  vessel, 
she  braced  her  mind  to  the  occasion,  returned 
to  the  mission  house,  pursued  her  studies  as 
formerly,  and  "  left  events  with  God." 

On  his  return  Mr.  Judson  began  what  he 
felt  to  be  the  great  purpose  of  his  life — his 
evangelistic  work.  Under  the  shadow  of  the 
grand  pagoda,  and  in  a  crowded  thorough- 
fare, he  built  a  humble  zayat,  or  hall  of  public 
resort.  Its  walls  were  made  of  bamboo,  and 
it  was  covered  in  with  thatch.  One  room 
was  open  to  the  street,  and  there  he  sat  all 
day  to  receive  those  whom  interest  or 
curiosity  induced  to  listen  to  his  message. 
Another  room  was  fitted  up  for  public 
worship,  and  a  third  was  devoted  to  classes 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  77 

for  the  women,  and  opened  on  the  garden  of 
the  mission-house.  Quietly  and  slowly,  but 
steadily  and  surely,  the  work  went  on.  In- 
quirers, opponents,  cavillers,  found  their  way 
to  that  humble  shed.  He  soon  discovered 
that  the  philosophies  and  speculations  of 
Europe  had  been  anticipated  in  the  East; 
that  Idealism  and  Nihilism  had  been  dis- 
cussed by  Brahmins  and  Buddhists  centuries 
before  the  days  of  Berkeley  and  Hume  ;  and 
that  amongst  the  professors  of  the  national 
creed  there  existed  a  large  proportion  of 
semi-atheists  and  metaphysical  sceptics. 
With  these  he  reasoned,  dealing  now  with 
their  common  sense,  and  now  with  their 
consciences,  pressing  home  on  each  the 
need  man  has  of  a  Saviour  and  a  Sanctifier, 
and  showing  how  God  has  provided  these  in 
His  glorious  Gospel.  At  length  one  convert 
declared  himself  on  the  side  of  Christ,  and 
Moung  Nau  was  baptized  as  the  iirstfrults 
of  Burmah  unto  the  Lord.  Two  others 
followed ;  but  persecution  threatened,  and  so 
on  a  November  evening,  when  the  sun  had 
gone  down,  they  made  their  humble,  timid 


78  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

profession.  "Perhaps,"  said  the  missionary, 
"  if  we  deny  Him  not,  He  will  acknowledge 
us,  another  day,  more  publicly  than  we 
venture  at  present  to  acknowledge  Him." 
It  was  some  comfort  to  him  to  find  that  on 
the  next  Lord's-day,  after  the  services  were 
over,  **  the  three  converts  repaired  to  the 
zayat,  and  held  a  prayer-meeting  of  their 
own  accord." 

By  this  time  the  number  of  inquirers  began 
to  excite  the  alarm  of  the  Buddhist  priests. 
A  new  and  by  no  means  friendly  viceroy  had 
replaced  Mya-day-men,  who  had  shown  the 
Judsons  no  little  kindness.  He  observed 
the  zayat,  and  it  was  soon  perceived  that  it 
was  here  the  converts  had  learned  "  to  for- 
sake the  religion  of  the  country."  Moreover 
the  old  emperor  had  died,  and  his  successor, 
who  was  supposed  to  be  a  zealous  Buddhist, 
had  initiated  his  reign  by  gilding  the  great 
pagoda,  which  contained  the  sacred  hairs 
of  Gaudama,  and  by  passing  sundry  enact- 
ments in  favour  of  the  popular  religion. 
The  growing  fear  of  persecution  checked 
inquiry,  and  the  work  was  likely  to  cease. 


TFIE  MISSION  FIELD.  79 

Under  these  circumstances  Judson  thought 
it  well  to  secure,  if  possible,  the  royal  pro- 
tection, or,  at  all  events,  some  measure  of 
toleration,  and  so  he  resolved  to  go  to  Ava, 
and  to  wait  upon  the  emperor.  Accordingly, 
he  and  Mr.  Colman,  a  brother  missionary, 
set  out  for  the  capital,  with  some  valuable 
presents  for  members  of  the  court,  and  a 
Bible  in  six  volumes,  covered  with  gold-leaf, 
to  lay  before  the  '*  golden  feet."  His  old 
friend,  Mya-day-men,  undertook  to  present 
them,  and  every  forehead  was  laid  in  the  dust 
as  the  modern  Ahasuerus,  with  royal  gait, 
and  with  gold-sheathed  sword  in  hand,  gave 
audience  in  the  splendid  palace.  After  he 
had  asked  several  questions,  and  heard  the 
Prime  Minister  read  the  petition,  he  held 
out  his  hand  for  the  tract,  which  contained 
a  brief  summary  of  the  Christian  faith.  As 
he  silently  read  the  opening  sentences,  the 
hearts  of  the  missionaries  sent  up  a  secret 
prayer  to  God — *'  Have  mercy  on  Burmah  ! 
have  mercy  on  her  king  !  "  But  he  dashed 
the  paper  to  the  ground  with  palpable  dis- 
dain.    An   attempt   to   conciliate   him   was 


8o  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

made  by  unfolding-  and  displaying  one  of 
the  attractive  volumes  ;  but  the  "  Sovereign 
of  land  and  sea"  took  no  notice.  The 
Prime  Minister  interpreted  his  master's  will : 
— '*  In  regard  to  the  objects  of  your  petition, 
His  Majesty  gives  no  order;  in  regard  to 
your  sacred  books,  His  Majesty  has  no  use 
for  them  :  take  them  away." 

With  a  heavy  heart  they  returned  home. 
Before  they  did  so,  however,  they  learned, 
to  their  deep  dismay,  that  some  fifteen  years 
before  a  Burmese,  who  had  been  converted 
by  the  Portuguese  priests,  and  sent  to  Rome 
to  complete  his  education,  was  on  his  return 
accused  before  the  authorities  by  his  own 
nephew,  and  subjected  to  the  cruel  torture 
of  the  iron  mall.  Beaten  from  head  to  foot 
till  his  body  was  one  living  wound,  he  still 
pronounced  the  name  of  Christ,  and  refused 
to  deny  his  faith.  The  story  held  out  a  sad 
prospect  of  what  converts  might  expect,  but 
the  missionaries  gathered  some  comfort  from 
the  sample  of  constancy  which  it  exhibited  ; 
and  strange  to  say,  on  their  return,  the 
recital  of  it  was  blessed  in  deciding  some 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  8i 

waverers  as  to  their  future  course.  The 
missionaries  now  resolved  to  leave  Burmah 
for  a  while,  with  their  three  converts,  and 
to  go  to  a  region  between  Bengal  and 
Arracan,  where  a  kindred  tongue  was  spoken. 
This  resolution  produced  dismay  amongst 
the  little  group  of  inquirers  at  Rangoon. 
"Do  stay  with  us,"  they  said,  "till  there 
are  ten  disciples,  and  then  appoint  one  to 
be  the  teacher  of  the  rest  when  you  are 
gone."  The  appeal  was  irresistible,  and 
fervent  prayer  followed  it.  It  reminds  us  of 
Abraham's  intercession  for  Sodom  ;  but  in 
this  case  **  the  ten  "  were  found.  Before  five 
months  had  passed,  Judson  was  able  to  take 
his  wife,  whose  health  was  seriously  impaired, 
to  Calcutta,  and  to  leave  the  infant  church 
to  the  native  care  of  Moung  Shwa-gnong. 
But  within  six  months  they  returned  to  their 
little  flock,  and  found  their  converts,  not- 
withstanding much  persecution,  true  to  their 
profession,  and  glad  beyond  measure  to 
welcome  them.  It  was  a  cheering  thing, 
moreover,  to  see  their  old  friend,  the  kindly 
viceroy,  just  reinstated  in  office.      The  ene- 

6 


82  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

mies  of  the  Gospel  had  gone  to  him  with 
an  accusation  against  the  native  teacher 
— "  He  has  turned  the  priests'  rice-pot 
bottom  upwards."  "What  matter!"  said 
the  viceroy;  "let  the  priests  turn  it  back 
again." 

The  work  went  on  ;  disciples  began  to 
increase ;  schools  were  opened,  and  two  re- 
markable men,  Moung  Shwa-ba  and  Moung 
Ing,  of  whom  we  shall  hear  again,  were 
added  to  the  Church  ;  so  that  although 
"  Mama  Judson,"  as  the  natives  loved  to 
call  her,  was  suffering  severely  from  liver 
complaint,  and  had  to  go  for  two  years  to 
America,  as  her  last  chance  of  life,  her 
noble  husband  resolved  to  remain  at  his 
post.  He  was  almost  the  only  person  on 
earth  who  had  such  a  knowledge  of  their 
language  as  to  be  of  use  to  the  pagans  of 
Burmah.  And  so  with  sorrowful  hearts  the 
husband  and  wife  parted.  Dr.  Price,  a 
medical  missionary,  now  joined  the  mission. 
His  fame  reached  "the  golden  ears,"  and 
he  was  summoned  to  Ava.  Judson  accom- 
panied him  as   interpreter.     The   reception 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  83 

on  this  occasion  was  more  favourable  than 
the  last;  but  the  **  golden  mouth  "  put  some 
alarming  questions  to  Judson  :    "  And  you 
in    black,    are   you  a   medical    man    too?" 
*'  Not  a  medical  man,  but  a  teacher  of  re- 
ligion, your  Majesty."     "  Have  any  of  the 
Burmese     embraced   it  ?  "     Judson     diplo- 
matically replied,  **Not  here."     "But  are 
there   any   in    Rangoon  ?  "    demanded  the 
emperor.     "There  are  a  few."     "  Are  they 
foreigners  ?  "    persisted   the   despotic  king. 
Judson  trembled  for  the  consequences ;   but 
the    truth    must    be    told    at    all   hazards. 
"  Some  foreigners  and  some  Burmese,"  he 
replied.     There  was  an   awful  silence ;  but 
He  who  is  mightier  than  the  kings 'of  the 
earth   restrained    man's   wrath,   and   before 
Judson  left  the  capital  he  had  preached  to 
both  king   and   courtiers,  and   received   an 
invitation  to  return  and  reside  at  Ava. 

Mrs.  Judson  came  back  from  America  in 
December  1823,  with  additional  missionary 
helpers,  and  within  seven  days  of  her  arrival 
at  Rangoon  she  and  her  husband  were  sail- 
ing up  the  Irrawady,  on  their  way  to  Ava. 


84  MODERN  HEROES    OF 

The  natives,  who  had  never  seen  a  white 
woman  before,  flocked  in  crowds  to  witness 
the  wondrous  sight,  and  soon  the  happy 
missionary  and  his  devoted  wife  were  in- 
stalled in  the  premises  assigned  them  by  the 
king.  Their  work  in  the  capital  had  begun 
under  the  most  favourable  circumstances ;  he 
was  engaged  in  preaching,  and  she  in  con- 
ducting her  school,  when  intelligence  arrived 
of  hostilities  with  the  British,  followed  by 
the  news  that  Rangoon  had  been  captured  ! 
The  few  Englishmen  in  Ava  were  imme- 
diately imprisoned,  and  orders  were  issued 
for  the  arrest  of  the  foreign  teachers.  Judson 
was  suddenly  seized,  in  his  wife's  presence, 
by  an  armed  band,  who  threw  him  on  the 
floor,  tied  his  arms  behind  his  back,  and 
hurried  him  to  prison.  She  barred  herself 
with  her  four  Burmese  girls  into  an  inner 
room,  to  escape  the  savagery  of  the  infuriated 
guards.  In  the  morning  she  contrived  to 
send  the  faithful  Moung  Ing  to  make  in- 
quiries, and  he  brought  back  word  that 
Judson  and  Price  and  the  English  merchants 
were  in  the  death-prison,  with  three  pairs  of 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  85 

iron  fetters  on   each,   and  all  fastened  to  a 
long-  pole  to  prevent  their  moving. 

We  cannot  enter  into  the  particulars  of 
that  two  years'  terrible  captivity,  or  of  the 
heroic  efforts  made  by  Anne  Judson  to 
assuage  the  sufferings  of  her  husband  and 
his  fellow-prisoners.  But  it  is  not  too  much 
to  say  that  it  was  owing  to  her  tact  and 
intercessions  that  they  were  not  murdered. 
It  is  a  record  on  the  one  side  of  the  noblest 
patience,  and  on  the  other  of  the  most  devoted 
love.  During  part  of  the  time,  and  that  too 
the  hottest  season  of  the  year,  Judson  was 
shut  up  with  some  hundred  Burmese  robbers 
in  a  cell  that  had  no  window,  and  they  were 
so  jammed  together  that  he  could  not  find 
room  to  stretch  himself.  It  was  a  rare 
luxury  when  he  obtained  the  reversion  of  a 
lion's  cage,  after  the  poor  animal  had  been 
starved  to  death,  because  it  was  supposed 
to  be  mysteriously  connected  with  English 
power.  The  head -jailer,  himself  a  branded 
murderer,  was  an  incarnation  of  cruelty  and 
mocking  jocularity.  After  a  time  Mrs.  Jud- 
son contrived,  partly  by  presents  and  partly 


86  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

by  appeals,  to  have  the  rigour  of  his  bond- 
age somewhat  relaxed,  and  she  kept  up 
secret  communications  with  him  by  writing 
on  flat  cakes  which  were  concealed  in  bowls 
of  rice,  and  by  stuffing  scraps  of  paper  into 
the  mouth  of  an  old  coffee-pot.  Only  once 
during  his  long  captivity  did  his  brave  spirit 
give  way.  His  wife  had  contrived  a  surprise 
that  might  remind  him  of  home  by  concoct- 
ing something  like  a  mince  pie  with  buffalo 
beef  and  plantains.  He  had  borne  taunts 
and  insults  without  shrinking;  he  had  en- 
dured fever  and  ague  without  dismay ;  he 
had  seen  some  of  his  European  fellow- 
prisoners  die  from  extremity  of  hardship, 
and  he  had  not  quailed ;  he  had  kissed  his 
new-born  baby  in  his  wife's  frail  arms, 
through  the  iron  bars  of  his  cell,  and  he 
had  done  so  without  a  sigh ;  but  when  he 
looked  upon  this  touching  remembrance  of 
a  happy  home  and  of  wifely  tenderness,  he 
bowed  his  head  upon  his  knees,  and  the 
tears  flowed  down  to  the  chains  that  clanked 
about  his  ankles,  and  the  dainty  viand 
remained  untouched. 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  87 

Mrs.  Judson  had  managed  to  secrete  the 
manuscripts  of  his  translations  in  the  earth 
beneath  the  mission-house;  but  the  rainy- 
season  came  on,  and  they  were  likely  to  be 
ruined  with  the  damp.  In  his  dungeon  he 
was  anxious  about  them,  and  he  arranged 
with  her  to  sew  them  up  in  a  pillow,  so 
mean  in  its  appearance,  and  so  comfortless 
withal,  that  the  covetousness  of  even  a 
Burman  jailer  should  not  be  excited  by  it. 
The  little  sleep  he  enjoyed  was  all  the 
sweeter  because  his  aching  head,  as  well  as 
his  anxious  heart,  was  pillowed  on  the  Word 
of  God.  When  he  was  sent  to  another 
prison-house  at  Oung-pen-la,  which  he 
reached  with  lacerated  and  bleeding  feet, 
the  ruffian  jailers  seized  for  themselves  the 
mat  which  covered  the  precious  pillow,  and 
threw  the  apparently  useless  article  away. 
Moung  Ing  found  the  relic,  carried  it  to  the 
mission-house,  and  by  its  aid  Burmah  after- 
wards obtained  the  Bible  in  her  native 
tongue. 

When   the    English    advanced   upon    the 
capital,     Judson     was     employed     by    the 


88  MODERN  HEROES   OF 

Burmese  as  an  interpreter,  and  sent  to  the 
camp  to  mediate.  He  discharged  the  diffi- 
cult duty  so  admirably,  that  he  was  after- 
wards thanked  by  the  Governor-General. 
Sir  Archibald  Campbell  insisted,  amongst 
other  terms,  upon  the  release  of  the  Judsons, 
and  they  were  soon  under  the  protection  of 
the  British  flag,  and  on  their  way  to  their 
old  station  at  Rangoon.  But  most  of  the 
converts  were  scattered,  and  there  was  no 
security  for  life  under  Burmese  rule ;  so  it 
was  determined  to  carry  the  old  zayat  into 
the  territory  recently  ceded  to  the  British, 
and  to  set  up  a  new  mission  at  Amherst,  and 
subsequently  at  Moulmein.  Here  they  re- 
commenced their  blessed  work,  and  not 
without  success ;  but  Judson  having  gone 
again  to  Ava  in  the  vain  endeavour  to  obtain 
religious  toleration,  returned  only  to  find 
that  his  noble  wife  had  died  of  fever  in  his 
absence,  and  that  he  was  soon  to  lay  his 
motherless  child  beside  her,  under  the  hopia 
(or  hope  tree),  which  seemed  such  a  blessed 
emblem  of  their  rest  and  resurrection. 
Judson   was   never  the   same    man   after 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  89 

that.  He  had  not  indeed  lost  his  holy  re- 
solution, but  he  had  lost  his  cheerful 
elasticity.  For  a  time  he  indulged  in  an 
ascetic  spirit,  and  would  live  for  days  alone 
amongst  the  woods,  in  fasting  and  prayer, 
and  seeing  only  those  who  came  to  him  for 
religious  instruction.  But  he  came  forth 
from  this  period  of  seclusion  with  a  new 
baptism  of  energy  and  devotedness.  He 
gave  up  all  his  patrimony  to  the  cause  of 
missions,  and  set  out  once  more  to  assail  the 
strongholds  of  Satan  in  the  old  Burman 
empire,  and  especially  at  Prome,  its  ancient 
capital.  He  was  led  to  take  an  especial 
interest  in  the  Karens,  an  interesting  and 
patriarchal  race,  who  were  treated  as  slaves 
by  the  Burmese,  but  were  infinitely  their 
superiors  in  all  the  better  traits  of  human 
character.  They  had  no  priesthood,  and 
scarcely  any  form  of  religion,  but  possessed 
strangely  truth-like  traditions  of  Paradise, 
and  the  Fall,  and  the  Deluge,  and  a  coming 
Deliverer.  It  was  this  mission  which  led  him 
to  know  and  marry  his  second  wife,  Sarah 
Boardman,  who  had  shared  her  first  husband's 


90  MODERN  HEROES   OF 

labours  amongst  this  people  while  he  lived, 
and  was  now  devoting  herself  to  their  best 
interests  after  his  death.  By  the  year  1836 
there  were  as  many  as  248  Karen  communi- 
cants, and  the  success  went  on  until  the  con- 
verts were  reckoned  by  thousands,  and  one 
of  the  missionaries  could  say,  ''  Heathenism 
has  fled  from  these  banks ;  I  eat  the  rice  and 
fruits  cultivated  by  Christian  hands,  look  on 
the  fields  of  Christians,  see  no  dwellings  but 
those  of  Christian  families." 

Eleven  years  more  passed  by,  and  several 
children  were  born,  but  the  health  of  Sarah 
Judson  was  shattered  by  constant  toil,  and 
she  was  ordered,  as  a  last  resource,  to  try  a 
voyage  to  America.  Her  husband  went  with 
her,  intending  to  see  her  as  far  as  the 
Mauritius  ;  but  when  they  reached  it,  finding 
that  she  was  fading  away,  he  went  on  with 
her  to  St.  Helena,  and  there  she  breathed 
her  last  on  the  ist  September,  1845.  She 
had  written  a  beautiful  "  Farewell,"  which 
she  meant  to  give  him  at  parting.    It  began — 

"  We  part  on  this  green  islet,  love  ; 
Thou  for  the  Eastern  main, 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  91 

I  for  the  setting  sun,  love; 
Oh  !  when  to  meet  again  ?  " 

and  it  ended  with  these  invigorating  words — 

"  Then  gird  thine  armour  on,  love. 
Nor  faint  thou  by  the  way, 
Till  Boodh  shall  fall,  and  Burmah's  sons 
Shall  own  Messiah's  sway." 

Judson  found  the  lines  after  she  had  **  gone 
home,"  and  when  he  copied  them,  he  wrote 
after  the  last  verse  these  words — '*  *  Gird 
thine  armour  on ' — And  so,  God  willing,  I 
will  yet  endeavour  to  do;  and  while  her 
prostrate  form  finds  repose  on  the  rock  of 
the  ocean,  and  her  sanctified  spirit  enjoys 
sweeter  repose  on  the  bosom  of  Jesus,  let 
me  continue  to  toil  on  all  my  appointed  time, 
until  my  change,  too,  shall  come." 

Judson  proceeded  to  America,  but  what  a 
change  he  found  since  he  had  left  it  thirty- 
four  years  before  !  Scarcely  one  whom  he 
had  known  was  alive  to  welcome  him  ;  but 
the  old  apathy  about  missions  had  given 
way  to  a  generous  enthusiasm,  and  he  felt 
pained    by    the    excessive    and    universal 


92  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

homage  that  was  paid  to  him.  The  uni- 
versities had  made  him  a  Doctor  by  diploma ; 
statesmen  and  philosophers  crowded  round 
him  to  pay  their  respects.  He  was  a  great 
man  indeed,  but  the  early  ambition  of  his 
youth  was  quenched  in  the  deep  humility  of 
an  aged  servant  of  the  Lord.  He  remained 
but  nine  months  in  the  States,  and  then  re- 
turned to  his  work.  He  had  been  anxious 
to  find  a  suitable  biographer  to  write  a 
memoir  of  his  late  wife,  and  was  recom- 
mended to  a  lady  who  had  gained  no  small 
literary  fame  under  her  nom  de  plume  of 
Fanny  Forrester.  Emily  Chubbuck  was 
vivacious  as  well  as  talented,  and  many 
wondered  when  they  heard  that  she  was  to 
be  Dr.  Judson's  wife  ;  but  she  made  a  noble 
partner  for  the  missionary,  and  a  loving 
mother  to  his  children.  She  enriched  our 
literature  with  one  of  the  most  exquisite 
biographies  in  the  language,  and  gathered 
the  materials  which  give  us  such  an  insight 
into  the  grandeur  of  her  husband's  life. 
Each  of  Judson's  partners  had  distinctive 
talents;    Anne    was    a    linguist,    Sarah    a 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  93 

poetess,  Emily  an  authoress.  The  first  had 
in  her  most  of  the  heroine,  the  second  most 
of  the  missionary,  and  the  third  most  of  the 
savante.  As  wives,  they  were  all  worthy  of 
such  a  husband ;  and  he  was  worthy  of  them. 
The  last  three  years  of  Judson's  glorious 
life  were  spent  at  Moulmein  and  Rangoon, 
amidst  alternate  difficulties  and  encourage- 
ments. An  affection  of  his  voice  now  pre- 
vented him  from  doing  much  in  the  way  of 
preaching,  but  there  was  the  less  need  of 
this,  as  the  mission  was  supplied  with  other 
labourers  ;  still  he  superintended  the  work, 
and  cheered  the  workers,  and  laboured  hard 
himself  at  his  Burmese  Dictionary.  He  had 
completed  the  first  section  of  it  (the  English- 
Burmese),  when  weakness,  followed  by  fever, 
utterly  prostrated  him,  and  the  physicians 
prescribed  a  voyage  to  the  Isle  of  France. 
His  devoted  wife  was  not  in  a  condition  to 
go  with  him,  but  the  mission  printer  and  a 
faithful  Bengali  servant  went  in  her  stead. 
Four  months  afterwards  she  learned  the  sad 
news  that  within  a  fortnight  after  she  had 
parted  from  him  he  was  laid  in  an  ocean  grave 


94         HEROES   OF  THE  MISSION  FIEID. 

(i2th  April,  1850).  *'  He  could  not,"  wrote 
his  widow,  **have  a  more  fitting  monument 
than  the  blue  waves  which  visit  every  coast ; 
for  his  warm  sympathies  went  forth  to  the 
ends  of  the  earth,  and  included  the  whole 
family  of  man."  He  was  brave,  faithful, 
patient,  hopeful  to  the  end.  His  last  words 
were  uttered  in  his  dear  Burman  tongue : 
"It  is  done."     "I  am  going." 

"  Servant  of  God,  well  done  ! 
Rest  from  thy  lov'd  employ; 
The  battle  fought,  the  vict'ry  won. 
Enter  thy  Master's  joy. 

"  The  pains  of  death  are  past ; 
Labour  and  sorrow  cease; 
And  life's  long  warfare  clos'd  at  last. 
His  soul  is  found  in  peace. 

"■  Soldier  of  Christ,  well  done  ! 
Praise  be  thy  new  employ ; 
And  while  eternal  ages  run 
Rest  in  thy  Saviour's  joy ! " 


IV. 

ROBERT  MORRISON.     CHINA,    1807— 1834. 

On  almost  any  morning  In  the  years  1805  or 
1806  a  grave  and  thoughtful  young  man 
might  have  been  seen  emerging  from  the 
gates  of  St.  Bartholomew's  Hospital  in 
London,  and  making  his  way  with  rapid 
steps  to  his  lodgings  in  Bishopsgate  Street. 
Those  who  had  witnessed  his  industry  and 
attention  in  the  wards  and  lecture-room, 
during  the  two  or  three  preceding  hours, 
would  have  concluded  that  his  one  object 
in  life  was  to  qualify  himself  for  the  profes- 
sion of  a  physician.  Had  they  accompanied 
him  to  his  humble  lodging,  and  seen  him 
shutting  his  closet  door  and  kneeling  down 
when  the  clock  struck  the  hour  of  noon  (as 
was  his  custom  all  through  life),  they  would 
have  gathered  that  he  was  a  pious  man. 
By-and-by,  after  a  hasty  meal,  the  stalwart 


96  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

young  pedestrian  Is  on  the  road  to  Green- 
wich, carrying  with  him  a  goodly  array  of 
mathematical  instruments  ;  and  if  we  follow 
him  into  the  Observatory,  we  shall  find  him 
deep  in  astronomical  studies,  and  working 
out  difficult  stellar  problems,  under  the 
guidance  of  the  famous  Dr.  Hutton.  Our 
conclusions  as  to  his  ultimate  purposes  in 
life  have  been  already  somewhat  disturbed, 
and  it  is  difficult  as  yet  to  assign  the  motives 
which  have  led  him  to  link  medicine  and 
astronomy  together  in  his  course  of  study. 

But  let  us  trace  his  steps  as  he  returns  to 
the  metropolis,  and  makes  his  way  to  the 
reading-room  of  the  British  Museum.  The 
librarian  evidently  knows  the  visitor,  and, 
without  any  question  asked  or  answered, 
furnishes  him  with  writing  materials,  and 
with  a  strange-looking  manuscript,  which 
the  student  begins  at  once  to  transcribe. 
It  is  in  the  Chinese  character,  and  contains 
a  Harmony  of  the  Gospels,  the  Acts  of 
the  Apostles,  and  the  Pauline  Epistles ; 
the  work,  as  far  as  can  be  ascertained, 
of  some    Jesuit   missionary.       Our    student 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  971 

spends  some  patient  hours  over  the  precious 
document,  and  then  once  more  we  find 
him  in  his  city  lodgings. 

But  now  another  character  appears  upon 
the  scene.  The  small  eyes,  the  high  cheek- 
bones, the  peculiar  physiognomy,  all  indicate 
that  he  is  a  Chinaman  ;  while  his  proud, 
domineering  manner,  as  he  instructs  his  pupil 
in  the  mysteries  of  his  perplexing  language, 
shows  at  once  that  he  has  inherited  the 
characteristics  of  his  race.  The  Chinese 
teacher  is  Yong-Sam-Tak,  and  his  clever, 
assiduous  pupil  is  Robert  Morrison,  the 
embryo  missionary,  who  may  lay  claim,  at 
least  amongst  the  reformed  churches,  to  be 
the  Apostle  of  China,  and  who  was  destined  to 
give  the  Word  of  the  living  God,  in  their  own 
peculiar  character,  to  four  hundred  millions 
of  idolatrous  heathen.  And  now  we  have 
obtained  the  clue  to  his  varied  employments, 
and  can  explain  why  his  versatile  genius  has 
led  him  to  the  study  of  medicine,  astronomy, 
and  oriental  literature,  that  he  may  the 
better  qualify  himself  for  the  one  great 
purpose  on  which  he  has  set  his  heart. 

7 


98  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

It  is,  however,  a  remarkable  circumstance, 
that,  when  young-  Morrison  began  his  study 
of  Chinese,  he  had  not  the  remotest  idea 
of  engaging  in  missionary  work,  or  that 
China  was  to  be  the  scene  of  his  life-long 
labours.  When,  on  his  return  to  England, 
after  seventeen  years  of  patient  toil,  he  stood 
in  London  upon  the  platform  of  the  Bible 
Society,  with  a  volume  of  the  Chinese  Bible 
in  his  hand,  a  gentleman  who  addressed  the 
meeting  narrated  the  following  story.  Many 
years  before,  while  reading  in  the  British 
Museum,  his  attention  was  attracted  to  a 
young  man  who  was  studying  a  book  written 
in  strange  characters.  "  I  took  the  liberty," 
he  said,  *'  of  asking  him  what  language  it 
was."  "The  Chinese,"  he  modestly  replied. 
"And  do  you  understand  it?"  I  inquired. 
**  I  am  trying  to  do  so,"  was  the  reply, 
"but  it  is  attended  with  singular  difficulty." 
"  And  what  may  be  your  object  ?  "  "I  can 
scarcely  define  my  motives,"  he  answered; 
"  all  that  I  know  is  that  my  mind  is  power- 
fully wrought  upon  by  some  strong  and 
indescribable  impulse,  and  if  the  language 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  99 

be  capable  of  being  surmounted  by  human 
zeal  and  perseverance,  I  mean  to  make  the 
experiment.  What  may  be  the  final  result, 
time  only  can  develop.  I  have  as  yet  no 
determinate  object  in  contemplation  beyond 
the  acquisition  of  the  language  itself."  Can 
we  doubt  that  God's  mysterious  providence 
was  even  then,  without  his  knowledge,  lead- 
ing him  to,  and  gradually  preparing  him 
for,  the  great  business  of  his  life  ? 

But  before  we  follow  him  to  his  distant 
field  of  labour,  and  point  out  the  calm  but 
decided  heroism  that  distinguished  him, 
we  must  go  back  a  little  in  his  history, 
and  see  his  antecedents.  Though  born  in 
Northumberland  and  spending  his  early 
years  at  Newcastle-upon-Tyne,  he  sprang 
from  a  Scottish  stock,  and  inherited  much 
of  the  vigour  and  prudence  of  his  race. 
His  earliest  employment  was  of  an  humble 
kind,  and  he  served  his  time  to  his  own 
father  as  a  last  and  boot-tree  maker.  From 
a  maternal  uncle  he  obtained  the  earliest 
rudiments  of  an  ordinary  education,  and, 
except  for   an   excellent   memory,   and   for 


loo  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

rigid  application,  he  was  not  in  any  way 
distinguished  amongst  his  companions.  He 
had  early  given  his  heart  to  God,  but  there 
was  nothing  remarkable,  as  there  was  in 
Judson's  case,  regarding  "  the  rise  and  pro- 
gress of  religion  "  in  his  soul.  When  he 
was  about  one-and-twenty,  he  made  up  his 
mind  to  enter  the  ministry  of  the  Scottish 
Church,  and  set  himself  to  prepare  for  it. 
This  led  to  his  admission  into  Hoxton  Aca- 
demy, better  known  after  its  removal  as 
"  Highbury  College,"  and  here  the  same 
characteristics  of  ardent  piety,  indefatigable 
application,  and  devoted  zeal,  which  marked 
his  after-life,  were  soon  m.ade  manifest.  It 
was  here,  too,  he  conceived  for  the  first  time 
the  idea  of  becoming  a  missionary.  The 
preference  for  this  special  work  did  not 
arise,  in  his  case,  from  any  strong  excite- 
ment, nor,  as  far  as  can  be  ascertained,  from 
any  striking  external  impulse,  but  rather 
from  a  calm,  deliberate  view  of  the  state 
of  the  heathen,  and  of  his  own  obligations 
to  his  Lord  and  Saviour.  From  the  begin- 
ning of  his  life  to  its  very  end  duty  was  his 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  lot 

pole-Star,  and  it  was  the  solemn  sense  of 
duty  which  led  him  to  resolve  on  being  a 
missionary. 

The  London  Missionary  Society  had  then 
an  academy  at  Gosport,  and  to  it  Morrison 
was  transferred.     As  yet  there  was  nothing- 
settled   as  to   his  field  of  labour.     Mungo 
Park  was  then  contemplating  the  formation 
of  a  settlement  at  Timbuctoo,  in  the  heart 
of  Africa,  and  the  young  student  felt  inclined 
to  accompany  him ;    but  the  burden  of  his 
prayers  at  this  time  was  that  *'  God  would 
station  him  in  that  part  of  the  missionary 
field  where  the  difficulties  were  the  greatest, 
and,  to  all  human  appearance,  the  most  insur- 
mountable."     His  prayers  were  heard,  and 
his  designation  to  China  was  the  answer  to 
them.     Circumstances  had  turned  the  atten- 
tion of  earnest  men  to   that  vast  country, 
with   its    teeming    millions   of    inhabitants. 
The  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  had 
heard    of    the    manuscript    in    the    British 
Museum,     to    which     reference    has    been 
already   made,    and   it   suggested   to   them 
the  idea  of  giving  the  whole  Bible  to  China 


I02  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

in  its  own  tongue.  But  there  were  serious 
difficulties  in  the  way.  China  was  closed, 
not  only  against  the  Gospel,  but  against 
the  commerce  of  "  the  outward  barbarians." 
Any  open  attempt  at  evangelisation  was 
certain  to  kindle  persecution.  And  besides 
all  this,  the  hostility  of  our  own  Government 
to  all  missionary  effort  was  so  decided,  that 
it  was  hopeless  to  expect  a  transit  for  a 
Gospel-messenger  in  a  British  ship. 

But  nowithstanding  all  these  obstacles,  it 
was  determined  to  send  a  missionary  to 
China,  and  the  lot  fell  on  the  young  student 
at  Gosport.  We  have  already  seen  how  God 
was  preparing  him  for  the  work.  From  the 
moment  that  China  was  assigned  as  the 
scene  of  his  labour,  he  came  to  London,  and 
gave  himself  up  for  two  years  to  those  special 
studies  which  were  most  likely  to  win  a  way 
for  him  amidst  a  proud  and  prejudiced,  but 
literary  people.  Being  at  length  set  apart 
for  his  work,  he  sailed  for  New  York,  because 
it  was  impossible,  for  the  reasons  which  we 
have  already  mentioned,  to  reach  his  destina- 
tion by  a  direct  route.     But  this  was  over- 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  103 

ruled  for  good.  Friends  of  the  truth,  in 
England,  furnished  him  with  letters  of 
introduction  to  others  in  America,  and  these 
again  commended  him  to  the  American 
Consul  at  Canton,  and  to  other  men  of 
influence. 

A  touching  incident  is  on  record  concern- 
ing his  stay  at  the  house  of  a  Christian 
gentleman  in  New  York.  Morrison  had 
been  taken  suddenly  ill,  and  was  placed  in 
the  gentleman's  own  chamber,  where,  in  a 
little  crib  beside  the  bed,  slept  a  child, 
whom  it  was  thought  a  pity  to  disturb.  On 
awakening  in  the  morning,  she  turned  to 
talk  as  usual  to  her  parents ;  but,  seeing  a 
stranger  in  their  place,  was  somewhat 
alarmed.  After  a  moment's  pause  she 
fixed  her  intelligent  eyes  steadily  upon  him, 
and  said,  **  Man,  do  you  pray  to  God?" 
"Oh,  yes,  my  dear,"  said  Mr.  Morrison, 
"  every  day:  God  is  my  best  friend."  The 
answer  seemed  at  once  to  reassure  the 
startled  child ;  she  laid  her  little  head  con- 
tentedly upon  her  pillow,  and  fell  asleep. 
Morrison  often  referred  to  the  circumstance, 


I04  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

and  said  that  it  taught  him  a  lesson  of  con- 
fidence and  faith. 

As  he  was  about  to  sail  for  Canton,  and 
was  settling  the  question  of  fare  and  freight 
with  the  shipowner,  the  man  of  business, 
looking  at  him  with  a  smile  that  only  half 
concealed  his  contempt,  inquired,  "Now, 
Mr.  Morrison,  do  you  really  expect  that  you 
will  make  an  impression  on  the  idolatry  of 
the  Chinese  empire?"  "No,  sir,"  said 
Morrison,  with  a  dignified  sternness,  and  with 
a  countenance  of  which  it  has  been  said,  "  it 
was  a  book  wherein  you  might  read  strange 
things," — *'  No,  sir,  but  I  expect  that  God 
will."  Those  who  knew  little  of  him  might 
say  that  he  was  too  proud  to  be  vain  ;  those 
who  knew  him  best  would  say  that  he  was 
too  pious  to  be  proud. 

He  reached  Canton  in  September  1807, 
and  found  himself  amongst  "the  cunning, 
jealous,  inquisitive  Chinese."  On  every  side 
he  saw  evidence  of  their  worldliness,  their 
ignorance,  and  their  idolatry;  and  he  said 
to  himself,  "Oh,  what  can  ever  be  done  with 
these   ignorant,   yet   shrewd   and   imposing 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  105 

people?"  "But,"  he  adds,  *' what  were 
our  fathers  In  Britain?"  Accordingly,  he 
went  to  work  with  undaunted  heart  and 
unfailing  faith.  "  China,"  said  he,  "  may 
seem  walled  around  against  the  admission  of 
the  Word  of  God ;  but  we  have  as  good 
ground  to  believe  that  all  its  bulwarks  shall 
fall  before  it,  as  Joshua  had  respecting  the 
walls  of  Jericho." 

To  acquire  the  language,  and  to  translate 
the  Scriptures  into  it,  were  the  great  objects 
which  he  set  before  him.  Evangelistic 
efforts  in  the  way  of  preaching  must  be  set 
aside  till  the  long-closed  door  was  opened  for 
it.  The  obstacles  in  his  path  were  enormous. 
The  language  itself,  both  in  its  spoken  and 
written  forms,  was  confessedly  most  diflicult. 
There  were  as  yet  no  grammars  to  aid  him, 
and,  owing  to  the  suspicion  of  the  Govern- 
ment, it  was  only  at  the  risk  of  their  liberties 
and  lives  that  teachers  could  be  obtained. 
His  old  friend,  Yong-Sam-Tak,  turned  up  In 
China,  but  was  of  little  use  to  him.  There 
was  as  yet  but  one  Englishman,  Sir  George 
Staunton,  who  had  made  himself  master  of 


io6  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

the  language,  and  though  he  showed  much 
kindness  to  the  missionary,  there  were  many 
reasons  why,  as  British  representative  at 
Macao,  he  could  not  openly  render  him  much 
assistance.  On  every  side  there  were 
jealousies — ^jealousies  between  the  English 
and  Americans,  jealousies  between  the  Com- 
pany and  British  Christians ;  jealousies  from 
the  Portuguese  Romanists ;  and,  above  all, 
jealousies  on  the  part  of  '*the  Celestials,"  as 
the  Chinese  loved  to  call  themselves ;  and 
therefore  every  step  had  to  be  taken  with  the 
most  extreme  caution. 

For  a  time  he  adopted  the  dress  and 
customs  of  the  Chinese;  cut  off  his  hair,  and 
wore  a  tail ;  allowed  his  nails  to  grow ;  ate 
his  food  with  chopsticks  ;  and  walked  about 
in  a  Chinese  frock  and  cumbrous  shoes ;  but 
he  soon  found  that  all  this,  though  he  meant 
it  for  the  best  (in  his  readiness  to  "become 
all  things  to  all  men  "),  only  awakened  sus- 
picion, and  that  it  was  wiser  to  dress  like 
other  foreigners  who  had  come  for  purposes 
of  trade.  But  he  kept  on  steadily  at  the 
study  of  the  language  in  both  the  Mandarin 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  107 

and  Canton  dialects ;  and  with  this  view 
procured  such  books  as  might  assist  him  ; 
obtained  what  help  he  could  from  native 
teachers  ;  lived  constantly  with  two  Chinese 
domestics  ;  spoke  to  them  and  read  to  them 
in  their  own  tongue,  and  even  repeated  his 
private  prayers  in  the  language  which  he 
sought  to  conquer.  His  success  may  be 
gathered  from  the  fact  that  ere  long  he  was 
appointed  translator  to  the  East  India  Com- 
pany's factory,  a  post  which,  like  Carey 
under  similar  circumstances,  he  prized,  not 
so  much  for  the  emoluments  which  it  brought 
with  it,  as  for  the  facilities  it  offered  for 
further  study,  and  the  opportunity  which  it 
gave  him  to  relieve  the  Missionary  Society 
of  expense. 

His  feelings  at  this  time  will  be  best 
described  in  his  own  words:  "But  for  the 
cause  I  serve,  I  would  gladly  exchange  my 
present  situation  for  any  in  England  or 
Scotland  at;,^50  a  year.  From  this  barren 
land  I  look  with  mournful  pleasure  to  the 
fruitful  plains  of  British  Israel  :  your  green 
pastures     are    plentifully    watered    by   the 


io8  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

Streams  of  life  ;  but  here,  alas  !  all  is  cheer- 
less as  the  sandy  desert.  Well,  though  the 
prospect  now  be  very,  very  dreary,  we  look 
forward  to  the  time  when  this  barren  land 
shall  be  turned  into  streams  of  water,  and 
the  desert  blossom  as  the  rose." 

We  must  now  follow  him  to  what  may  be 
called,  both  literally  and  metaphorically,  his 
subterranean  labours.  Privacy,  caution,  pa- 
tience, were  absolutely  necessary  for  his 
work.  It  must  be  done,  if  done  at  all,  with  the 
utmost  secrecy  and  consequent  self  denial. 
And  so  we  get  a  glimpse  of  the  prudent  and 
indefatigable  missionary  living  in  a  cellar 
below  the  roadway,  with  a  dim  earthenware 
lamp  lighted  before  him,  and  a  folio  volume 
of  Matthew  Henry's  Commentary  screening 
the  flame  both  from  the  wind  and  from 
observation.  It  was  a  true  and  real  heroism 
that  enabled  him  to  work  on  day  after  day, 
and  year  after  year,  for  the  most  part  alone, 
and  without  any  aid  from  external  excitement, 
or  any  of  those  helps  which  come  to  us  from 
the  countenance  and  approbation  of  our 
fellow-men.     He  had  not  even  that  fuel  for 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  109 

enthusiasm  which  is  to  be  found  in  the  pre- 
sence of  large  and  interested  audiences,  and 
which  missionaries  so  often  derive,  even 
from  the  objections  and  questionings  of  their 
hearers.  Two  expressions,  which  were  often 
on  Morrison's  lips,  indicated,  the  one  his 
strength  of  motive,  the  other  his  source  of 
strength  :  the  first  was,  *'  It  is  my  duty ;  " 
the  second,  *'  Look  up,  look  up." 

The  first  portion  of  Holy  Scripture  which 
he  printed  in  1810  was  "The  Acts  of  the 
Apostles;  "  and  he  always  admitted  that  this 
was  In  effect  a  revision  from  the  manuscript 
which  he  had  studied  at  home,  and  which 
thus  became  the  nucleus  of  the  Chinese  New 
Testament.  In  18 14  he  had  finished  the 
rest  of  the  New  Testament,  and  sent  it  to 
the  press ;  and  in  the  same  year  he  baptized 
his  first  convert,  Tsae  Ako,  who  had  been 
helping  him  in  his  work.  In  18 19,  with  the 
aid  of  Dr.  Milne,  the  whole  Bible  was  com- 
pleted, and,  by  liberal  help  from  the  British 
and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  was  published  in 
twenty-one  volumes.  During  this  time  he 
had  to  superintend  not   only  the   printing, 


no  MODERN  HEROES   OF 

but  also  the  cutting  of  the  blocks  from  which 
the  copies  were  to  be  struck,  and  often  had 
his  patience  and  perseverance  been  tried  by- 
finding  them  destroyed,  sometimes  by  the 
ravages  of  the  white  ants,  sometimes  through 
the  terror  of  the  workmen,  and  sometimes 
through  the  hostility  of  the  native  magis- 
trates. We  may  add  that  when  he  saw  im- 
perial edicts  issued  against  Christianity ; 
when  his  own  work  was  again  and  again 
assailed,  and  for  a  time  interrupted;  and 
even  when  bitter  persecutions  were  stirred 
up  against  his  few  but  faithful  converts,  this 
calm  and  resolute  soldier  of  the  cross  was 
not  dismayed,  but  held  fast  to  his  convic- 
tions and  to  his  duties.  When  the  worldly 
wisdom  of  "the  Honorable  Company"  led 
them  to  fear  that  they  should  be  compro- 
mised if  it  were  known  that  their  interpreter 
was  engaged  in  the  work  of  Bible  translation, 
he  never  for  a  moment  hesitated  as  to  his 
duty.  To  use  his  own  words,  "  The  cha- 
racter of  a  missionary  I  cannot  sink  ;  no,  not 
if  my  daily  bread  depend  on  it."  They 
went  so  far  as  to  sever  their  connection  with 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  in 

him  for  a  while ;  yet,  such  was  their  con- 
fidence in  his  wisdom,  and  their  high  estimate 
of  his  capacity,  that  he  was  soon  restored  to 
office:  they  employed  him  again  and  again 
as  a  Chinese  jurist  in  political  matters  of  the 
greatest  delicacy  and  importance,  and  even 
sent  him  on  one  occasion  with  Lord  Am- 
herst on  an  embassy  to  Pekin.  They  also 
undertook  the  publication  of  his  Chinese 
Dictionary,  a  work  which  he  carried  on 
simultaneously  with  his  Biblical  translation. 
Some  idea  of  the  extent  and  vastness  of 
this  work  may  be  formed  from  the  fact  that 
it  cost  them  ;^  15,000  to  produce  it.  It  was 
in  reality  a  Chinese  Encyclopaedia,  explain- 
ing some  40,000  characters,  and  giving  a 
vast  amount  of  information  concerning  the 
whole  circuit  of  Chinese  literature.  We 
are  accustomed  to  call  Dr.  Johnson,  our 
English  lexicographer,  "a  Colossus  of 
Literature,"  but  by  what  title  shall  we 
designate  the  marvellous  compiler  of  the 
Chinese  Dictionary  ? 

Nor   was   this    his    only   literary   labour. 
His  Grammar  of  the  language ;  his  Chinese 


112  MODERN  HEROES   OF 

Miscellany;  his  "View  of  China  for  Philo- 
logical Purposes  ;  "  his  editing  and  publish- 
ing of  the  ^'Notitia  Linguae  Sinicse;"  these, 
and  other  works  of  a  similar  kind,  would 
have  established  for  him,  as  Professor  Kidd 
has  well  observed,  a  world-wide  reputation 
in  the  domain  of  letters.  But  we  must 
remember,  as  the  Professor  has  also  said, 
that  "  whatever  he  accomplished  as  an 
ardent  scholar,  a  zealous  divine,  and  a 
steady  patriot,  owed  its  origin  to  his  reli- 
gious character." 

Two  special  considerations  urged  him  on 
in  his  work  of  Biblical  translation ;  one  was 
that  both  Buddhism  and  Confucianism  had 
been  mainly  spread  in  the  "  Flowery  Land," 
not  by  oral  teaching  or  preaching,  but  by 
books;  the  other  was  that,  although  the 
dialects  of  China  were  manifold  (some 
reckon  them  at  two  hundred),  and  differed, 
many  of  them,  as  much  from  each  other  as 
the  languages  of  Europe,  yet  the  printed 
character  of  the  country  was  intelligible  to 
all  readers.  Perhaps  this  will  be  best 
understood  by  an  illustration.     The  Arabic 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  113 

numerals  (i,  2,  3,  4,  etc.),  standing-  as  they 
do,  not  for  sounds,  but  for  numerical  notions, 
are  at  once  understood  by  all  readers,  al- 
though, as  inhabitants  of  different  countries, 
they  will  call  them  by  entirely  different 
names.  The  Chinese  written  characters, 
being  symbolic,  and  not  phonetic — repre- 
senting things  to  the  eye,  instead  of  sounds 
to  the  ear,  are  in  this  way  intelligible 
throughout  the  empire,  and  not  only  there, 
but  in  the  Corea,  Japan,  Loo-Choo,  and 
Cochin  China,  where  they  are  known,  and 
where  the  press  has  been  in  use  for  seven 
hundred  years.  Thus,  by  translating  the 
Holy  Scriptures  into  the  printed  characters 
of  China,  Morrison  provided  a  book,  and 
that  book  the  Book  of  God,  for  one- third  of 
the  human  family ! 

It  is  not  pretended  that  Dr.  Morrison's 
translation  of  the  Bible  is  a  perfect  one.  It 
was  the  first  translation  into  the  most  difficult 
language  of  the  world,  and  it  was  accom- 
plished under  unparalleled  difficulties.  "The 
written  language  of  China,"  says  the  Rev. 
A.   E.  Moule,  of  Ningpo,  "  would   require 

•8 


114  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

almost  two  lifetimes  of  unremitting  toil." 
No  one  knew  this  better  than  Morrison 
himself.  He  felt  the  need  of  a  thorough 
revision  of  his  work,  and  had  his  life  been 
spared  longer,  he  would  have  effected  it ; 
but,  to  use  his  own  words,  he  studied 
*' fidelity,  perspicuity,  and  simplicity;"  and 
he  aimed  (it  is  his  own  happy  illustration)  at 
preparing  the  way  in  China,  as  Wycliffe  did 
in  England,  for  those  who  should  come  after 
him. 

His  fame  as  a  scholar  had  reached  Europe. 
French  savants  had  corresponded  with  him. 
Glasgow  had  conferred  on  him  the  degree 
of  Doctor  in  Divinity.  It  was  no  wonder, 
therefore,  that  when  he  came  to  England  in 
1824,  after  seventeen  years  of  indomitable 
labour,  men  like  Sir  George  Staunton,  Sir 
Robert  Peel,  and  Bishop  Sumner,  should 
welcome  him,  and  present  him  to  his 
Sovereign;  that  his  name  should  be  received 
with  cheers  in  the  Imperial  Parliament ;  that 
literary  institutions  like  the  Royal  Society 
should  invite  him  to  membership  ;  and  that 
Churchmen  and  Dissenters  should  vie  with 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  115 

each  other  to  do  him  honour.  His  own 
catholicity  of  spirit  was  proved  in  many 
ways,  and  perhaps  in  none  more  than  in 
this,  that,  though  a  Dissenter,  he  invariably 
used  the  Liturgy  of  the  Church  of  England 
in  his  ministrations  to  the  residents  ;  and 
when  he  wished  to  bequeath  to  his  native 
converts  a  help  to  their  devotions,  he  trans- 
lated it  into  their  own  tongue.  "Tome  it 
appeared,"  he  writes,  **  that  the  richness  of 
its  devotional  phraseology,  its  elevated  views 
of  the  Deity,  and  its  explicit  and  full  recog- 
nition of  the  work  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
were  so  many  excellences  that  a  version  of 
them  into  Chinese,  as  they  were,  was  better 
than  for  me  to  new  model  them." 

After  two  years  in  England,  spent,  as  he 
says,  *' mostly  in  stage  coaches  and  inns  " — 
for  he  travelled  far  and  near  to  promote  an 
interest  in  missionary  work — he  returned  to 
the  land  of  his  adoption,  and  for  the  eight 
years  that  followed,  amidst  failing  health 
and  family  afflictions  and  manifold  dis- 
couragements, he  still  pursued  without 
cessation    his    multifarious    labours.      The 


ii6  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

Anglo-Chinese  college,  which  he  himself 
had  founded  at  Malacca,  and  to  which  he 
was  a  most  generous  benefactor,  engaged 
much  of  his  attention.  The  printing  press 
was  employed  not  only  in  printing  succes- 
sive editions  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  but 
also  in  producing  tracts,  hymn-books,  and 
catechisms,  which  were  scattered  in  thou- 
sands amongst  the  population,  by  means 
of  native  Christians  and  traders,  although, 
as  Dr.  Morrison  truly  observes,  they  seemed 
**  not  more  in  comparison  of  the  vast  extent 
of  ground  to  be  cultivated  than  a  handful  of 
seed  would  be  if  cast  on  the  mountains  of 
Lebanon."  To  the  Europeans  and  Ameri- 
cans who  resided  in  Canton  and  Macao,  and 
to  the  sailors  who  visited  these  ports,  he  gave 
religious  instruction ;  but,  except  to  the 
natives  in  his  own  employ,  he  could  give  no 
oral  instruction  to  the  heathen,  this  being 
rendered  impossible  by  the  despotism  under 
which  he  lived.  Still,  the  few  opportunities 
which  he  had  were  diligently  employed,  and 
not  without  success.  He  did  much  to  raise 
the  tone  of  morals  and  religion  amongst  the 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  117 

foreign  residents,  and  was  the  means  of 
win^ning  a  little  band  of  Chinamen  to  the 
profession  of  Christianity.  One  of  these 
was  Leang  Afa,  who  became  the  first  native 
preacher  of  the  Gospel  in  the  empire. 

Morrison  lived  to  see  other  labourers 
arrive  in  China,  and  to  welcome  Dutch  and 
American  as  well  as  English  missionaries. 
The  work  has  made  vast  advances  since  that 
"day  of  small  things,"  but  to  him  belong 
the  credit  and  the  praise  of  having  pioneered 
the  way.  We  have  said  enough  to  show 
that  his  talents  were  of  a  solid  rather  than 
of  a  showy  character,  and  that  the  work  of 
missions  in  China  was  no  less,  indebted  to 
his  caution  than  to  his  genius.  "  One  false 
step  at  the  beginning  might  have  delayed 
the  work  for  ages." 

There  was  in  him,  as  in  many  other  heroic 
minds,  a  strange  mixture  of  the  sternest 
severity  in  respect  to  duty,  and  of  the 
softest  affection  as  regarded  those  dear  to 
him.  His  letters  to  his  children,  his  interest 
in  their  sports — nay,  the  very  caresses  he 
bestowed  upon  his  dog  "Caesar,"   all  bear 


ii8        HEROES  OF  THE  MISSION  FIELD. 

witness  to  the  gentleness  of  his  disposition. 
His  journals  breathe  a  spirit  of  earnest  piety, 
and  at  the  same  time  of  statesmanlike 
wisdom.  He  was  generous  almost  to  a 
fault.  As  in  the  cases  of  Schwartz,  Carey, 
and  Marshman,  the  chief  part  of  his  official 
income  was  expended  upon  his  missionary 
work. 

He  died  in  harness — "  tired  in  the  work, 
but  not  of  iV — and  he  died  almost  alone; 
for  all  but  one  of  his  family  had  gone  to 
England  on  account  of  health.  He  was 
weak  and  scarcely  able  for  the  effort,  but  he 
gathered  his  little  flock  of  converts  round 
him  on  the  last  Lord's  day  that  he  spent  on 
earth,  and  for  the  last  time  they  heard  from 
his  dying  lips  the  clear  expression  of  his 
faith,  the  solemn  exhortation  of  his  love,  and 
his  earnest  prayers  for  them  and  for  his 
work;  and  then,  on  August  ist,  1834,  to 
use  the  Oriental  language  of  one  of  that 
little  band,  "  he  entered  on  his  golden 
tranquillity." 


V. 

SAMUEL  MARSDEN.    NEW  ZEALAND, 
1814— 1838. 

The  missionary  heroes  whose  histories  have 
been  already  sketched  in  this  volume,  found 
their  fields  of  valour  and  devotion  amongst 
races  which,  however  benighted,  were  yet  to  a 
great  degree  civilized,  and  in  some  instances 
positively  refined ;  but  we  have  now  to  turn 
to  the  history  of  men  who  spent  their  lives 
amidst  barbarians,  and  who  won  their  noblest 
trophies  among  cannibals  and  savages. 
Foremost  of  the  band  stands  Samuel  Marsden, 
the  "Apostle  of  New  Zealand."  This  sturdy 
Yorkshireman,  whom  no  dangers  could 
affright,  and  whom  no  difficulties  could 
deter,  like  many  of  his  fellow-heroes,  was 
born  of  humble  parents,  at  Horsforth,  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Leeds,  in  1764,  and  after 
having  received   an    elementary    education 


I20  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

in  his  native  village  was  transferred  to  the 
Grammar  School  of  Hull,  which  was  then 
presided  over  by  Dr.  Milner,  the  well-known 
ecclesiastical  historian.  It  is  said  that  for  a 
time  he  worked  at  the  anvil,  but  that  he 
evinced  no  ordinary  literary  promise  seems 
certain  from  the  fact  that  he  was  adopted 
by  the  "  Eland  Society,"  which  sought  out 
young  men  of  talent  for  the  ministry,  and 
by  it  was  sent  to  complete  his  education  at 
St.  John's,  Cambridge.  This  occurred  some 
few  years  before  Henry  Martyn  became  a 
student  at  the  same  college.  Before,  how- 
ever, Marsden  had  taken  his  degree,  the 
offer  of  a  colonial  chaplaincy  amongst  the 
convicts  of  New  South  Wales  was  made  to 
him  through  the  influence  of  Mr.  Wilber- 
force,  and  on  the  recommendation  of  the 
Rev.  Charles  Simeon,  who  had  early  dis- 
covered the  peculiar  fitness  of  the  young 
mechanic  for  a  post  which  was  as  rough  and 
arduous  as  it  was  noble  and  self-denying. 
How  little  did  either  he  or  his  patrons  know 
for  what  a  destiny  God's  providence  was 
preparing  him  !     The  youthful  chaplain  was 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  121 

waiting-  at  Hull,  with  his  newly- wedded 
bride,  for  the  sailing  of  the  ship  which  was 
to  carry  them  to  their  ''distant  banishment," 
when  just  as  he  was  entering  the  pulpit  on 
Sunday  morning,  the  signal-gun  was  fired, 
and  he  and  his  wife  had  to  set  out  at  once 
for  the  beach,  accompanied  by  the  whole 
congregation,  to  whom,  instead  of  a  sermon, 
he  gave  his  parting  benediction,  and  then 
set  sail  amidst  their  prayers  and  their  fare- 
wells. While  the  vessel  waited  at  Ports- 
mouth for  her  cargo  of  convicts,  Marsden 
visited  the  Isle  of  Wight,  and  it  was  a  sermon 
of  his  in  Brading  Church  that  led  to  the 
conversion  of  "the  Dairyman's  Daughter," 
whose  touching  story  has  been  so  well  told 
by  Leigh  Richmond  in  his  "Annals  of  the 
Poor." 

It  was  a  rough  and  in  many  respects  an 
unpleasant  charge  that  awaited  Marsden  at 
Paramatta.  The  colony  was  composed  of 
the  worst  of  felons  and  bush-rangers — the 
very  scum  and  refuse  of  a  vicious  population 
who  had  been  banished  from  their  own  land 
for  every  conceivable  crime,  and  for  whose 


122  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

reformation  and  instruction  scarcely  any- 
thing had  been  done.  The  work  allotted  to 
him  was  enough  to  appal  the  stoutest  heart, 
but  the  heroic  clergyman  entered  upon  it  with 
the  faith  of  a  man  who  believed  in  his 
mission,  and  though  he  was  thwarted  and 
opposed  and  misrepresented  at  every  step 
by  those  in  authority,  he  still  persevered 
"  through  evil  report  "  (we  cannot  add  "  and 
through  good  report")  in  carrying  out  his 
own  well-laid  plans  for  the  benefit  of  the 
abandoned  criminals  who  formed  his  charge, 
and  for  that  of  the  reckless  and  brutish 
population  which  surrounded  them.  It  was 
the  policy,  and  oftentimes  the  base  self- 
interest  of  those  who  held  power  in  the  colony 
to  resist  all  attempts  at  reformation  and 
improvement ;  and  as  the  brave  and  godly 
chaplain  persisted  in  his  efforts,  he  was  con- 
stantly assailed  with  personal  abuse,  official 
misrepresentation,  and  newspaper  libels. 
Again  and  again  had  he  to  appeal  for  pro- 
tection to  the  laws  of  his  country,  and  on 
each  occasion  with  success ;  till  at  last  his 
philanthropic    efforts   won    the    notice   and 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  123 

approbation  of  such  friends  of  the  human 
race  as  Lord  Gambier,  William  Wilberforce, 
and  Elizabeth  Fry ;  and  better  still,  his  sug- 
gestions on  behalf  of  the  moral  and  spiritual 
welfare  of  the  colony  were  adopted  by  the 
Government  at  home. 

It  was  during  a  visit  which  he  paid  to 
England  in  1807,  for  the  purpose  of  laying 
his  plans  before  the  authorities,  that  he 
pleaded  the  cause  of  New  Zealand  with  the 
Church  Missionary  Society,  and  thus  laid 
the  foundation  of  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
missions  of  modern  times.  Fourteen  years 
previously,  when  on  his  first  voyage  to  New 
South  Wales,  he  had  read  "  The  Life  of 
Brainerd,"  and  it  had  kindled  in  his  bosom, 
as  it  has  kindled  in  many  others,  a  flame  of 
missionary  zeal.  Whilst  engaged  in  his 
projects  for  the  colonists,  he  did  not  lose 
sight  of  the  despised  Australian  natives, 
and  made  frequent  though  abortive  efforts 
for  their  good  ;  but  his  attention  was  more 
particularly  directed  to  the  New  Zealanders. 
They  were  feared  and  hated  in  New  South 
Wales ;  but  Marsden  soon  discovered  them 


124  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

to  be  a  noble  type  of  savage,  though  con- 
stantly engaged  in  internecine  wars,  and 
often  stirred  up  to  murderous  reprisals  upon 
white  men,  by  the  ill-treatment  they  received. 

They  were  an  inquisitive  and  enterprising 
people,  and  paid  frequent  visits  to  New 
South  Wales.  Marsden  opened  his  hospi- 
table doors  to  receive  them,  and  soon  gained 
a  wondrous  influence  over  them.  Some- 
times he  had  as  many  as  thirty  of  them 
beneath  his  roof.  One  remarkable  chieftain, 
Tippahee,  with  his  four  sons,  visited  the 
colony  in  1806,  and  our  hero  found  that 
the  tattooed  cannibal  was  a  man  of  superior 
ability,  anxious  for  the  improvement  of  his 
people,  and  ready  to  adopt  plans  for  the  ele- 
vation of  his  race.  Marsden  sent  him  back 
to  New  Zealand  laden  with  seeds  and  tools 
and  useful  gifts,  and  thus  prepared  the  way 
for  the  nobler  projects  which  occupied  his 
thoughts. 

We  can  well  imagine  with  what  earnest- 
ness the  vigorous  and  devoted  man  of  God 
pleaded  the  cause  of  his  proteges  with  the 
committee  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  125 

in  London,  and  we  know  with  what  alacrity 
they  responded  to  his  appeal.  No  clergymen 
could  at  first  be  found  to  engage  in  the 
heroic  enterprise;  but  two  skilled  mechanics 
were  placed  under  Marsden's  charge,  to 
visit  the  islands,  to  establish  friendly  rela- 
tions with  the  natives,  and  to  use  the  arts  of 
civilization  as  a  means  towards  the  promul- 
gation of  the  Gospel.  This  subordination 
of  means  to  an  end  is  distinctly  marked  in 
their  instructions  :  "  Ever  bear  in  mind  that 
the  only  object  of  the  Society,  in  sending 
you  to  New  Zealand,  is  to  introduce  the 
knowledge  of  Christ  among  the  natives,  and 
in  order  to  this,  the  arts  of  civilized  life." 
Whatever  may  have  been  Mr.  Marsden's 
earlier  ideas  with  regard  to  the  importance 
of  civilization  in  its  relation  to  Christianity, 
his  experience,  at  the  end  of  thirty  years 
of  toil,  found  expression  in  these  words  : 
*'  Civilization  is  not  necessary  before  Chris- 
tianity ;  do  both  together  if  you  will,  but 
you  will  find  civilization  follow  Christianity 
more  easily  than  Christianity  follow  civiliza- 
tion."   And  then  he  added  these  memorable 


126  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

words :  "I  shall  not  live  to  see  it,  but  I  may 
hear  of  it  in  heaven,  that  New  Zealand,  with 
all  its  cannibalism  and  idolatry,  will  yet  set 
an  example  of  Christianity  to  some  of  the 
nations  now  before  her  in  civilization."  It 
was  this  thorough  confidence  in  the  truth  of 
God,  not  only  as  an  end,  but  as  a  means, 
which  carried  him  through  hosts  of  difficul- 
ties. 

On  Marsden's  return  voyage  to  Port 
Jackson,  with  his  two  associates,  it  so 
happened  that  a  poor,  sickly,  emaciated  New 
Zealander  sailed  with  them  in  the  same  ship. 
Ruatara,  like  many  of  his  countrymen,  had 
been  cruelly  treated  by  English  sailors,  who, 
under  delusive  promises,  had  induced  him 
to  sail  with  them  to  England,  and  then,  after 
having  almost  worked  him  to  death,  left  him 
in  poverty  and  sickness,  to  find  his  way 
back,  as  best  he  could,  to  his  native  land. 
The  benevolent  chaplain  pitied  the  poor 
outcast  stranger,  and  inquired  into  his 
history.  Strange  to  say,  he  was  nephew 
to  Tippahee ;  and  Marsden  soon  found  that 
he  was  endowed  with   many  of  his  uncle's 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  127 

noblest  qualities,  and  with  earnest  desires 
for  the  advancement  of  his  people.  Not- 
withstanding the  cruel  treatment  he  had 
received,  he  had  been  deeply  impressed 
with  what  he  had  seen  in  England,  and 
more  especially  with  the  observance  of  the 
Lord's-day.  The  care  and  tenderness  of 
his  bluff  but  kindly  friend  soon  re-esta- 
blished his  health,  and  won  him  over  to 
promise  his  valuable  services  in  aid  of 
Marsden's  Christian  enterprise. 

Upon  their  arrival  at  Paramatta,  dis- 
astrous news  awaited  them.  A  large 
merchantman,  the  Boyd,  having  put  into  the 
harbour  of  Whangaroa,  had  been  plundered 
by  the  natives,  and  all  the  passengers  and 
crew  had  been  murdered  and  devoured.  It 
was  afterwards  ascertained  that  the  most 
wanton  provocation  had  been  given  by  the 
captain  to  a  young  chief  who  had  been  on 
board,  and  hence  this  horrible  retaliation. 
This,  in  its  turn,  led  to  terrible  reprisals. 
Some  whalers,  hearing  of  the  loss  of  the 
Boyd,  determined  to  avenge  it,  and  con- 
founding the  innocent  with  the  guilty,  came 


128  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

down  upon  Tippahee  in  his  island  home  in 
the  Bay  of  Islands,  put  him  and  his  people 
to  the  sword,  and  burnt  their  village  to 
ashes. 

The  state  of  excitement  was  so  great  that 
Marsden  wisely  postponed  his  missionary 
enterprise  ;  and  meantime  Ruatara  returned 
to  his  home,  and  began  to  enlighten  his 
people  by  recounting  what  he  had  heard 
and  seen,  by  introducing  seeds  and  agri- 
culture, and  by  "  making  a  Sunday,"  as  he 
expressed  it,  for  the  space  of  "  five  moons," 
at  the  end  of  which  period  he  seems  to  have 
lost  his  reckoning,  and  to  have  abandoned 
that  part  of  his  plan.  At  length  the  two 
mechanics  visited  New  Zealand,  and  were 
joyfully  received  by  Ruatara  and  his  friends, 
some  of  whom,  in  company  with  the  young 
chief,  returned  with  them  to  Port  Jackson, 
and  filled  the  anxious  heart  of  the  good 
chaplain  with  rejoicing,  when  he  saw  the 
near  prospect  of  a  commencement  for  his 
long-contemplated  work. 

He  could  find  no  captain  of  a  ship  adven- 
turous enough  to  take  him  and  his  party  to 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  129 

the  land  of  cannibals.  One,  Indeed,  offered 
to  run  the  desperate  risk ;  but  he  asked 
;^6oo  for  the  single  venture,  and  this  was 
beyond  the  means  at  the  chaplain's  disposal; 
so  at  his  own  risk  he  purchased  the  Active, 
a  little  brig,  the  first  of  those  missionary- 
vessels  which  have  since  done  such  good 
service  in  the  cause  of  Christ. 

On  the  19th  November,  1814,  Marsden 
embarked,  with  a  motley  crew  of  Christians 
and  savages,  Europeans  and  New  Zealand- 
ers,  women  and  artizans,  together  with  a 
few  horses,  cattle,  sheep,  and  poultry,  and 
dropped  his  anchor  In  the  Bay  of  Islands, 
close  to  the  scenes  of  recent  bloodshed  and 
horror.  It  was  just  as  the  Christmas  festival 
was  drawing  near,  with  its  memories  of  peace 
and  mercy.  The  Whangaroans  and  the 
people  of  the  Bay  of  Islands  were  still  at 
war ;  the  one  suspected  the  other  of  having 
conspired  with  the  English  In  the  murder 
of  Tippahee,  and  a  deadly  feud  existed 
between  them.  Marsden  saw  at  once  that 
If  he  went  at  first  to  Ruatara's  friends,  It 
would    be    misinterpreted    by   the    Whan- 

9 


I30  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

garoans  as  an  act  of  partiality ;  so  he  deter- 
mined to  show  that  he  was  the  friend  of  both, 
and  boldly  resolved,  not  only  to  land  un- 
armed amongst  the  Whangaroans,  but,  with 
only  one  companion,  to  spend  the  night  in 
their  midst. 

Perhaps  in  the  annals  of  heroic  enterprise 
there  never  was  a  braver  deed.  Ruatara, 
who  knew  the  unscrupulous  ferocity  of  his 
race,  and  that  they  were  burning  with  the 
spirit  of  revenge,  did  all  he  could  to  dis- 
suade the  intrepid  missionary,  but  in  vain. 
A  welcome,  however,  awaited  Marsden, 
though  it  was  scarcely  of  a  kind  to  reassure 
him.  On  the  hill  opposite  the  landing- 
place,  a  band  of  naked  warriors,  armed 
with  clubs  and  spears,  occupied  a  command- 
ing position.  After  an  anxious  pause,  a 
native  advanced,  flourishing  a  red  mat,  and 
crying,  *'  Haromai !  haromai !  "  ("  Come 
hither !  come  hither !  ")  Then  the  warriors 
advanced.  Some  of  them  wore  necklaces 
made  of  the  teeth  of  their  slaughtered 
enemies ;  while  others  were  adorned  with 
the  dollars  which  they  had  plundered  from 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  '  131 

the  Ill-fated  strangers  whom  they  had  lately- 
murdered  on  that  very  beach.  Seizing 
their  spears,  they  brandished  them  as  if  in 
fury.  Screams  and  yells  were  heard  on 
every  side.  Every  face  was  fiercely  dis- 
torted, and  every  limb  employed  in  the 
wildest  gesticulation.  It  was  their  war- 
dance.  "What  nearer  approach  to  demons," 
said  Captain  Fitzroy,  on  witnessing  one  of 
these  performances,  "  could  be  made  by 
human  beings  ?  "  But  it  was  a  ^^ welcome,'^  for 
the  name  of  '*  Marsden,"  "  the  friend  of  the 
Maories,"  had  reached  them  through  their 
countrymen  who  had  visited  Paramatta. 

That  night  he  and  Mr.  Nicholas  remained 
upon  the  island.  He  has  described  his  own 
sensations: — "The  night  was  clear,  the 
stars  shone  bright,  the  sea  was  smooth; 
around  were  the  warriors'  spears  stuck  up- 
right in  the  ground,  and  groups  of  natives 
lay  in  all  directions,  like  a  flock  of  sheep 
over  the  grass,  for  there  were  neither  tents 
nor  huts  to  cover  them.  I  viewed  our  pre- 
sent situation  with  feelings  which  I  cannot 
describe — surrounded  by  cannibals  who  had 


132  MODERN  HEROES   OF 

devoured  our  countrymen.  I  wondered 
much  at  the  mysteries  of  Providence,  and 
how  these  things  could  be.  I  did  not  sleep 
much ;  my  mind  was  occupied  by  the 
strange  circumstances  in  which  we  were, 
and  the  new  and  strange  ideas  which  the 
scene  naturally  awakened." 

As  Marsden  lay  awake  that  night,  there 
shone  above  him  one  of  the  most  striking 
constellations  of  the  other  hemisphere — the 
southern  cross,  formed  by  a  group  of  four 
brilliant  stars.  And  then  there  arose  another, 
— the  southern  crown,  that  magnificent 
diadem  of  light,  as  if  to  assure  him  of  the 
glorious  issue  of  his  work,  and  to  cheer  him 
with  the  remembrance  that 

*'  To  patient  faith  the  prize  is  sure, 
And  they,  who  to  the  end  endure 
The  cross,  shall  wear  the  crown." 

Christmas  Day  was  at  hand.  It  fell  upon 
a  Sunday,  and  Ruatara  made  preparations 
for  the  performance  of  Divine  worship  on 
shore.  The  English  flag  was  hoisted  upon 
the  highest  hill  above  the  village  in  honour 
of  the   Christian   holiday.      About   half  an 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  133 

acre  of  ground  had  been  enclosed  with  a 
fence ;  a  rude  pulpit  had  been  erected,  and 
draped  with  native  mats,  and  some  old 
canoes  turned  upside  down  were  arranged 
as  seats  for  the  Europeans.  Chiefs  and 
people  were  gathered  all  around,  while  the 
women  and  children  formed  a  wider  circle 
outside.  A  solemn  silence  prevailed,  and 
then  the  tones  of  the  grand  *'  Old  Hun- 
dredth "  rose  for  the  first  time  on  that 
distant  shore  Marsden  entered  the  pulpit, 
and  preached  from  the  angelic  message  of  the 
day,  "  Behold,  I  bring  you  glad  tidings  of 
great  joy."  A  native  who  had  been  on 
board  was  the  interpreter,  and  when  the 
people  complained  that  they  could  not 
understand  it  well,  Ruatara  told  them  that 
they  would  understand  it  by-and-by,  and 
that  he  would  explain  it  as  far  as  he  could. 

Such  was  the  first  entrance  of  the  Gospel 
into  New  Zealand,  and  such  the  heroic  man 
who  gained  that  entrance  for  it,  no  less  by 
his  kindness  than  by  his  courage.  From 
that  day  onwards,  throughout  a  quarter  of 
a  century,  he  made  the  mission  his  constant 


134  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

care.  Residing  at  Paramatta,  and  waging 
there  an  unceasing  war  with  vice,  injustice, 
and  obloquy,  his  heart  was  still  in  New  Zea- 
land. The  Active  passed  to  and  fro  con- 
tinually between  Port  Jackson  and  the 
mission,  carrying  from  time  to  time  fresh 
labourers  to  the  field,  and  bringing  over 
young  and  intelligent  natives  to  be  trained 
under  his  friendly  supervision.  Seven  times 
did  this  noble-hearted  man  cross  over  in  his 
missionary  ship,  and  every  time  with  bless- 
ing and  advantage  to  the  natives.  At  one 
time  it  was  to  set  the  missionaries  to  work 
upon  the  language^  and  to  compile  voca- 
bularies ;  at  another  it  was  to  install  fresh 
labourers  and  mechanics  in  some  new  settle- 
ment ;  at  another  it  was  to  open  schools 
and  seminaries  for  the  instruction  of  the 
people ;  at  another  it  was  to  step  in  as 
mediator  between  hostile  tribes,  and  to  stay 
the  fierce  ravages  of  war ;  always  it  was  to 
proclaim  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  and  to  extend 
the  Redeemer's  kingdom. 

For  a  long  time  there  were  no  converts, 
and   the  missionaries   were  exposed  to  im- 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  135 

minent  peril  amidst  the  sanguinary  conflicts 
which    surrounded    them.      But    still   there 
was   a   very    general    desire    amongst    the 
natives  that  the   Pakehas   (or  Englishmen) 
should   settle    amongst    them.     They   were 
wise  enough  to  see  the  advantages  arising 
from  the  presence  of  civilized    and  kindly 
teachers.     And    on  one  occasion  they   ear- 
nestly assured  Mr.  Marsden  that  there  was 
no  danger  of  the  Pakehas  being  killed  and 
eaten,  for  '*  their  flesh  was  not  so  sweet  as 
Maori  flesh,  because   the   English   ate   too 
much  salt!  "     At  length  a  spirit  of  inquiry 
was  manifested ;  the  truth  of  God  began  to 
find  lodgment  in  these  savage  hearts  :  one 
chief,  and  then  another,  was  baptized ;  the 
people  followed   their  example ;    houses   of 
prayer  sprang  up  in  various  directions,  and 
the  wilderness  began  to ''blossom  as  the  rose." 
When    Marsden    paid   his   sixth   visit   he 
found   a  striking   contrast  on  the  east  and 
west  shores   of  the   bay   where   he   landed. 
On   the   one  side   were  naked   savages  en- 
gaged in  war ;    nothing  was  to  be  heard  but 
the    firing  of  musketry,   the    yells    of  the 


136  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

combatants,  the  moans  of  the  wounded,  and 
wild  lamentations  for  the  slain.  Not  one 
ray  of  heavenly  light  or  peace  upon  that 
dismal  shore.  On  the  other,  the  sound 
of  "  the  church-going  bell ;  "  the  natives 
decently  dressed,  and  assembling  for  divine 
worship ;  the  church  service  printed  in  their 
own  language,  and  many  of  them  able  to 
read  it,  and  ready  to  use  it  with  propriety 
and  devotion.  The  whole  settlement  re- 
minded him  "  of  a  well-regulated  English 
parish."  "  Here,"  wrote  the  good  man, 
"might  be  viewed  at  one  glance  the  bless- 
ings of  the  Christian  religion  and  the 
miseries  of  heathenism  even  with  respect 
to  the  present  life ;  but  when  we  extend  our 
thoughts  to  the  future,  how  infinite  the 
difference  !  " 

His  seventh  and  last  visit  was  a  memor- 
able one.  He  was  now  seventy-two  years 
of  age ;  he  was  bowed  down  with  infirmity, 
and  his  sight  was  failing  him ;  but  he 
resolved  once  more  to  visit  his  beloved 
Maories,  in  company  with  his  youngest 
daughter.      "  The   people   in   the   colony," 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  I37 

said  he,  "are  becoming  too  fine  for  me 
now.  I  am  too  old  to  preach  before  them, 
but  I  can  talk  to  the  New  Zealanders." 
His  advent  was  hailed  with  unutterable 
delight.  Wherever  the  venerable  patriarch 
appeared,  he  was  greeted  by  the  native 
Christians  with  tears  of  joy,  while  the  hea- 
then population  welcomed  him  with  firing 
of  muskets,  and  the  exhibition  of  their  war- 
dance.  One  chieftain  sat  upon  the  ground, 
gazing  upon  him  in  silence  for  several 
hours ;  and  when  reproved  by  a  bystander 
for  what  seemed  like  rudeness,  he  replied, 
*'  Let  me  alone  ;  let  me  take  a  last  look  ;  I 
shall  never  see  him  again!"  At  Kaiti, 
Marsden  sat  in  his  arm-chair  in  the  open  air 
before  the  mission-house,  and  held  a  con- 
stant levee.  Thousands  of  Maories  poured 
in  from  every  quarter,  and  from  great 
distances,  to  do  homage  to  their  benefactor. 
With  his  characteristic  benevolence,  he  pre- 
sented each  with  a  pipe  and  fig  of  tobacco, 
and  when  he  was  about  to  re-embark  they 
carried  him  on  their  shoulders  to  the  ship, 
a  distance   of   six    miles.      With   paternal 


138  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

authority,  and  with  all  the  solemnity  of  a 
man  who  stood  on  the  verge  of  eternity,  the 
apostolic  missionary  gave  his  parting  bene- 
diction to  the  missionaries  and  their  native 
converts,  and  quitted  the  shores  of  New 
Zealand  for  the  last  time. 

Amongst  the  records  of  the  Church  Mis- 
sionary Society  has  been  found  a  letter  from 
him,  written  after  his  return  to  Paramatta. 
It  is  in  a  large  and  straggling  hand,  and 
dated  loth  December,  1837.  It  was  his 
last  communication,  and  was  not  received 
until  after  his  death.  In  it  he  writes,  '*  I 
am  happy  to  say  the  mission  goes  on  well 
amidst  every  difficulty.  I  visited  many 
places  in  my  last  voyage  from  the  North 
Cape  to  Cloudy  Bay.  The  Gospel  has  made 
a  deep  impression  upon  many  of  the  natives, 
who  now  lead  godly  lives."  The  letter 
concludes  with  these  touching  words :  **  I 
am  now  very  feeble ;  my  eyes  are  dim,  and 
my  memory  fails  me.  I  have  done  no  duty 
on  the  Sabbath  for  some  weeks  through 
weakness.  When  I  review  all  the  way  the 
Lord  has  led   me  through   this   wilderness, 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  139 

I  am   constrained  to  say,   ^  Bless   the  Lord^ 
O  my  soulJ  " 

Five  months  later,  on  the  8th  May,  1838, 
this  grand  old  man  gave  up  the  ghost.  He 
was  brave  and  vigorous  to  the  last.  Only 
a  month  or  two  before  his  death,  he  and  his 
daughter  were  stopped  by  two  noted  bush- 
rangers, who  presented  pistols  at  their 
heads,  and  threatened  to  shoot  them  if 
they  spoke  a  word.  Perfectly  undismayed, 
the  aged  chaplain  remonstrated  with  them  on 
their  wicked  course  of  life,  and  warned  them 
that  if  they  did  not  abandon  it  he  would 
probably  meet  them  at  the  gallows.  His 
words  were  fulfilled  ;  they  were  arrested  for 
other  outrages,  and  one  of  his  latest  official 
acts  was  to  attend  them  to  the  place  of 
execution ! 

His  last  words  were  spoken  in  response  to 
a  remark  on  the  preciousness  of  a  good 
hope  in  Christ — *' Precious,  precious,  pre- 
cious" And  so  "  the  friend  of  the  Maories  " 
and  of  the  convicts  died  in  the  presence  of 
all  his  brethren,  having  outlived  the  slander 
and  opposition  of  all  his  enemies,  and  having 


i40  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

successfully  planted  one  of  the  grandest 
missions  of  this  century.  If  all  who  after- 
wards came  into  contact  with  the  New  Zea- 
land tribes  had  been  actuated  by  his  spirit, 
the  dark  shadows  which  for  a  time  were 
thrown  across  this  "  Britain  of  the  southern 
hemisphere  "  had  been  unknown. 

Marsden  once  entertained  the  idea  that 
the  New  Zealand  tribes  might  have  been 
united  under  one  native  prince,  but  he  soon 
found  that  while  every  chief  was  willing  to 
accept  the  supreme  power,  not  one  of  them 
was  willing  to  take  a  secondary  place.  He 
then  saw  that  there  was  nothing  to  preserve 
them  from  ruin  and  disintegration,  except  to 
bring  them  under  British  protection.  His 
last  years  were  employed  in  preparing  them 
for  this  event ;  and  two  years  after  his  death 
New  Zealand  became  a  British  colony,  the 
first,  we  believe,  that  was  won  by  her  without 
the  sword.  At  the  same  time  the  English 
episcopate  was  introduced  under  the  vigor- 
ous and  benignant  sway  of  the  famous 
Bishop  Selwyn.  That  Episcopate  has  since 
been  broken  up  into  six  different  Sees,  to 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  141 

meet  the  growing  requirements  of  the 
Church ;  whilst  a  goodly  native  ministry 
and  some  fifteen  thousand  native  Christians 
attest  the  stability  of  the  work,  the  founda- 
tions of  which  were  so  well  and  wisely  laid 
by  the  heroic  "  Apostle  of  New  Zealand." 
It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  to  Samuel 
Marsden  Great  Britain  owes,  under  God, 
both  the  colony  and  the  Church  of  New 
Zealand. 

We  shall  close  this  notice  of  his  life  and 
labours  by  recording  the  testimony  of  one 
who  himself  may  well  be  claimed  as  a  hero 
In  the  mission  field.  Bishop  Selwyn,  upon 
his  arrival  in  the  colony,  three  years  after 
Marsden' s  death,  wrote  these  memorable 
words : — "  We  see  here  a  whole  nation  of 
pagans  converted  to  the  faith.  God  has 
given  a  new  heart  and  a  new  spirit  to 
thousands  after  thousands  of  our  fellow- 
creatures  in  this  distant  quarter  of  the  earth. 
Young  men  and  maidens,  old  men  and 
children,  all  with  one  heart  and  with  one 
voice  praising  God,  all  offering  up  daily 
their    morning    and    evening    prayers,    all 


142        HEROES  OF  THE  MISSION  FIELD. 

searching  the  Scriptures  to  find  the  way  of 
eternal  life,  all  valuing  the  Word  of  God 
above  any  other  gift,  all  in  greater  or  less 
degree  bringing  forth  and  visibly  displaying 
in  their  outward  lives  some  fruits  of  the 
influences  of  the  Spirit.  Where  will  you  find, 
throughout  the  Christian  world,  more  signal 
manifestations  of  the  presence  of  that  Spirit, 
or  more  living  evidences  of  the  kingdom  of 
Christ?" 

"His  sov'reign  mercy  has  transform'd 

Their  cruelty  to  love ; 
Soften'd  the  tiger  to  a  lamb, 

The  vulture  to  a  dove  1 " 


VI. 

JOHN  WILLIAMS.— POLYNESIA,  1 817— 1839. 

What  Cook  was  amongst  navigators,  John 
Williams  was  amongst  missionaries.  Both 
were  eminently  distinguished  for  their 
heroism  and  for  their  philanthropy.  The  lot 
and  labour  of  both  were  mainly  cast  amid 
those  lovely  groups  of  islands,  whose  feathery 
palm  trees  and  tufted  cocoa-nuts  are  mir- 
rored in  the  waters  of  the  Great  Pacific. 
These  islands  were  made  known  to  the 
civilized  world  by  the  one;  they  were 
brought  into  the  fellowship  of  Christendom 
by  the  other.  Both  of  these  distinguished 
men  lost  their  lives  by  murderous  hands, 
upon  those  distant  coasts,  in  the  noble  effort 
to  do  their  duty  to  God,  and  to  be  a  blessing 
to  their  fellow-men.  And  if  Cook  was  a 
real  martyr  in  the  cause  of  science,  Williams 
was  a  real  martyr  in  the  cause  of  religion. 


144  MODERN  HEROES   OF 

John  Williams  was  born  at  Tottenham 
Court,  London,  in  the  year  1796,  and  gave 
early  evidence  of  those  practical  habits 
which  contributed  so  much  to  his  subse- 
quent usefulness  and  success.  Even  as  a 
child,  the  little  breakages  of  the  household 
were  constantly  referred  to  his  skill  and 
handicraft  for  their  repair;  and  when  he 
was  apprenticed  to  an  ironmonger  in  the 
City  Road,  it  was  soon  observed  that,  al- 
though exempted  by  his  indentures  from  the 
more  laborious  parts  of  the  business,  he 
preferred  the  forge  to  the  counter,  and 
became  such  an  expert  workman,  that  he 
was  frequently  employed  by  his  master  in 
executing  orders  which  required  special 
skill.  He  was  usually  spoken  of  as  "the 
handy  lad ;  "  but  no  one  guessed  what  valu- 
able results  were  to  flow  from  his  taste  and 
genius  for  mechanics. 

Though  brought  up  by  pious  parents, 
he  was  not  religious,  and  for  a  time  was 
led  into  companionships  by  no  means  im- 
proving to  his  character.  One  Sunday 
evening  he  was  loitering  at  the  corner  of  a 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  145 

Street,  waiting  for  some  companions  to 
accompany  him  to  a  place  of  amusement. 
He  was  beginning  to  feel  annoyed  at  their 
non-appearance,  and  his  natural  impatience 
was  increased,  because  the  delay  gave  occa- 
sion to  unpleasant  self-reflections  which  were 
anything  but  welcome.  Just  at  that  moment 
his  master's  wife  passed  by,  on  her  way  to 
*'  the  Tabernacle,"  and  with  some  difficulty 
induced  the  loiterer  to  go  with  her.  It 
proved  to  be  the  turning-point  in  his  life; 
and  many  years  afterwards,  when,  in  that 
same  place  of  worship,  the  successful  mis- 
sionary was  narrating  to  a  breathless  audi- 
ence the  story  of  his  labours  and  successes, 
*'  he  pointed  with  deep  emotion  to  the  door 
by  which  he  had  entered,  and  to  the  pew  in 
which  he  had  sat  on  that  memorable  night, 
when  the  word  of  God  had  been  fastened  in 
his  heart,  as  in  a  sure  place,  by  the  Master 
of  assemblies." 

The  discoveries  of  Cook  had  directed  the 
attention  of  Christian  men  to  the  Isles  of  the 
Pacific,  and  the  London  Missionary  Society 
had  selected  them  as  the  scene  of  its  earliest 

10 


146  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

labours.  These  loveliest  spots  on  the  earth 
were  becoming  depopulated  by  vice  and 
cruelty.  *'  Mothers  slept  calmly  on  the  beds 
beneath  which  they  had  buried  many  of  their 
own  murdered  infants  !  "  For  many  years 
the  early  pioneers  seemed  to  toil  on  in  vain. 
At  length  there  were  signs  of  an  awaken- 
ing. In  some  of  the  islands  the  natives 
renounced  their  idolatry,  and  gave  up  their 
bloody  rites.  There  was  a  cry  for  help,  and 
when  it  reached  England,  Williams  was 
the  first  to  say,  **  Here  am  I ;  send  me." 

It  was  on  the  30th  of  September,  1816, 
that  nine  young  men  stood  side  by  side 
in  Surrey  Chapel  to  receive  their  mis- 
sionary designation.  John  Williams  and 
Robert  Moffatt  were  the  two  youngest  of  the 
band ;  the  former  destined  to  be  "  the 
Apostle  of  Polynesia,"  the  latter  to  win  for 
himself,  in  connection  with  the  dark  con- 
tinent of  Africa,  a  name  only  second  to  that  of 
Livingstone,  his  illustrious  son-in-law.  The 
words  in  which  the  aged  minister  who 
addressed  them  gave  his  parting  exhortation 
to  John  Williams  rang  not  only  then,  but 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  147 

through  all  his  after  life,  like  a  trumpet  in  his 
ears:  "Go,  my  dear  young  brother;  and  if 
your  tongue  cleave  to  the  roof  of  your  mouth, 
let  it  be  with  telling  sinners  of  the  love  of 
Jesus  Christ ;  and  if  your  arms  drop  from 
your  shoulders,  let  it  be  with  knocking  at 
men's  hearts  to  gain  admittance  for  Him 
there." 

With  Mary  Chauner,  his  young  and 
devoted  wife,  who  proved  herself  a  noble 
helpmeet  to  a  noble  husband,  Williams  and 
his  companions  set  forth  on  their  missionary 
voyage.  Touching  at  New  Zealand,  they 
received  an  apostolic  greeting  from  Samuel 
Marsden,  and  reached  Eimeo,  one  of  the 
Society  Islands,  just  twelve  months  after  they 
had  left  England.  Here  and  in  neighbour- 
ing islands  of  the  group,  Williams  remained 
for  some  time,  perfecting  himself  in  the 
Tahitian  language.  He  had  not  the  philo- 
logical powers  of  a  Carey  or  of  a  Morrison, 
nor  was  he  as  fruitful  as  they  were  in  the 
compilation  of  grammars  and  lexicons  ; 
neither  did  he  possess  the  philosophic  mind 
which  enabled  Judson  and  Martyn  to  contend 


148  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

with  the  sophistries  of  the  East ;  but  he  had 
strong  common  sense,  a  marvellous  power 
of  endurance,  and  an  extraordinary  facility 
in  adapting"  himself  to  circumstances ;  so 
that  by  throwing  himself  thoroughly  amongst 
the  simple  islanders,  he  soon  got  into  their 
habits  of  thought  and  expression,  while  his 
mechanical  skill  and  unfailing  readiness  were 
constant  sources  of  power  and  influence. 

He  was  led  to  select  Raiatea  as  the  centre 
of  his  first  missionary  operations.  It  was  the 
largest  and  most  central  island  of  the  group ; 
it  was  moreover  the  seat  of  political  power, 
and  the  head-quarters  of  idolatry.  The 
temple  of  Oro,  *'  at  once  the  Mars  and  the 
Moloch  of  the  southern  seas,"  stood  here, 
but  by  a  happy  accident,  or  rather  by  a  kindly 
providence,  some  knowledge  of  the  Gospel 
had  been  already  introduced.  Pomare, 
the  well-known  Christian  king  of  Tahiti, 
with  some  of  his  people  and  an  English 
missionary,  had  been  driven  thither  in  a 
storm  ;  and  such  was  the  impression  made 
by  this  unintentional  visit,  that  the  chief, 
whose  name  was  Tamatoa,  became  desirous 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  149 

that  Christian  teachers  should  settle  In  his 
island.  He  came  himself  to  entreat  the 
missionaries  to  instruct  his  people.  Williams 
was  most  anxious  to  go ;  but,  being  the 
youngest  of  the  band,  he  waited  until  all  his 
colleagues  had  declined  the  offer,  and  then 
joyfully  volunteered  for  the  noble  service. 

There  was  a  grand  welcome  at  Raiatea  for 
"  Viriamu;  "  this  being  the  nearest  form  of 
pronunciation  that  the  natives  could  find  in 
their  speech  for  the  name  of  "Williams." 
A  present  of  five  pigs  for  Viriamu,  five  for 
his  wife,  and  five  for  their  baby-boy,  with 
abundance  of  yams  and  cocoa-nuts  and 
bananas,  proved  that  the  people  were  willing 
to  accept  their  new  teachers.  They  were 
ready,  moreover,  to  hear  Mr.  Williams 
preach,  to  observe  the  Lord's  Day,  and  to 
renounce  their  Idols  ;  but  their  moral  condi- 
tion was  unutterably  debased,  their  idleness 
was  inveterate,  their  habits  of  theft,  poly- 
gamy, and  infanticide  were  abominable,  and 
their  darker  and  fiercer  passions  were  some- 
thing awful  when  roused  to  war  or  vengeance. 
The  story  of  Mr.  Williams'  proceedings 


ISO  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

and  success  at  Raiatea  may  be  taken  as  a 
sample  of  what  he  afterwards  accomplished 
at  the  two  other  great  centres  of  his  vast 
mission — Rarotonga  and  Upolu.  It  would 
be  impossible  in  a  sketch  like  this  to  follow 
him  in  all  his  work.  An  eminent  prelate 
of  our  Church  once  compared  Mr.  Williams' 
"  Narratives  of  Missionary  Enterprise"  to 
the  "Acts  of  the  Apostles;  "  and  truly  if 
heroic  devotion,  consecrated  energy,  and 
marvellous  results  may  warrant  such  a  com- 
parison, not  one  of  these  elements  is  wanting. 
Without  for  a  moment  losing  sight  of  his 
primary  work  in  the  evangelization  of  the 
people,  he  employed  every  art  and  adjunct 
of  civilization  within  his  reach  to  raise  them 
from  their  indolent  and  brutish  habits.  He 
very  wisely  says  in  one  of  his  journals, 
'*  The  missionary  does  not  go  to  barbarize 
himself,  but  to  elevate  the  heathen  ;  not  to 
sink  himself  to  their  standard,  but  to  raise 
them  to  his."  Accordingly,  he  built  himself 
a  house,  with  window  sashes  and  Venetian 
blinds,  and  filled  it  with  neat  and  com- 
modious  furniture,    almost  every   article  of 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  151 

which  was  made  by  his  own  ingenious  hands. 
He  taught  the  natives  how  to  make  lime 
from  coral,  and  to  build  decent  houses  for 
themselves.  He  set  them  the  example  of 
gardening  and  agriculture  and  boat-building, 
and  rewarded  all  attempts  at  industry  by 
presents  of  nails,  hinges,  and  tools. 

Soon  a  place  of  worship  was  erected  in 
their  midst,  capable  of  containing  some  three 
thousand  people.  Williams  took  care  to 
make  it  as  far  as  possible  worthy  of  the  pur- 
pose for  which  it  was  designed.  It  was  truly 
a  noble  Polynesian  cathedral,  though  its 
sides  were  made  of  wattles,  and  its  pillars  of 
the  trunks  of  trees.  He  expended  special 
care  upon  the  carving  of  the  pulpit  and 
reading-desk,  and  fabricated  such  wondrous 
chandeliers  for  evening  service,  that  when 
the  natives  beheld  them  they  exclaimed, 
"  Au  Brittanue  e  !  Au  Brittanue  e  !  "  *'  O 
England,  O  England! "  *'  A  Fenua  maraau 
ore;"  "the  land  whose  customs  have  no 
end." 

These  were,  however,  but  means  towards 
an  end,  and  that  end  was  the  salvation   of 


152  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

souls  and  the  extension  of  the  Redeemer's 
kingdom.     Christianity  began  to  make   its 
way.     The    maraes,    or   idol   houses,    were 
pulled  down ;  the  gods  were  committed  to 
the     flames,      infanticide     was     abolished, 
cannibalism  had  ceased,  divine  service  was 
held  three  times  every  Sunday,  family  prayer 
was  universal,   and  the   people   who   lately 
seemed    as     if    possessed   by   devils    were 
**  sitting,    and    clothed,    and   in    their  right 
mind."       "With    respect   to    civilization," 
says  Mr.  Williams,   "  we  have  pleasure   in 
saying  that  the  natives  are  doing  all  that  we 
can  reasonably  expect,  and  every  person  is 
now  daily  and  busily  employed  from  morning 
till  night.     At  present  there  is  a  range  of 
three  miles  along  the  sea-beach  studded  with 
little  plastered  and    whitewashed  cottages, 
with   their   own    schooner   lying   at   anchor 
near  them.     All  this  forms  such  a  contrast 
to  the  view  we  had  here   three  years  ago, 
when,   excepting    three  hovels,    all   was    a 
wilderness,  that  we  cannot  but  be  thankful, 
and,  when  we  consider  all  things,  exceedingly 
thankful  for  what  God  has  wrought." 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  153 

Williams  was  a  statesman  as  well  as  a 
mechanic.  In  May  1820  he  succeeded  in 
getting  a  new  and  admirable  code  of  laws 
established  in  a  great  assembly  by  the  votes 
of  the  people.  Trial  by  jury  was  a  distinc- 
tive feature  of  this  code,  and  such  an  efficient 
executive  was  provided  from  amongst  the 
natives  themselves,  that  the  whole  system 
worked  admirably.  He  laid  the  foundations, 
moreover,  for  a  remunerative  commerce,  by 
teaching  them  how  to  cultivate  cotton  and 
tobacco,  as  well  as  by  instructing  them  in 
rope-making  and  other  useful  arts.  He 
taught  them  how  to  prepare  the  sugar-cane 
for  the  market,  and  not  only  constructed  a 
mill  for  the  purpose,  but  made  with  his  own 
hands  the  lathe  in  which  the  rollers  for  it 
were  turned. 

It  was  both  a  test  of  his  work  and  a  proof 
of  its  real  progress,  when  he  proposed  to  the 
converted  islanders  the  formation,  amongst 
themselves,  of  a  Missionary  Association  for 
the  evangelization  of  the  heathen  in  the 
surrounding  islands.  The  speeches  that 
were   delivered,    and   the  interest   that  was 


154  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

evinced  by  them  in  reference  to  this  work, 
but  above  all  the  contributions  that  were 
given  towards  carrying  it  on,  proved  how 
deeply  the  truth  of  God  had  taken  root  in 
their  own  hearts.  At  the  end  of  the  first 
year  the  Raiateans  had  given  some  15,000 
bamboos  of  cocoa-nut  oil,  the  value  of  which 
was  at  least  ;i^500,  as  a  recognition  of  their 
own  obligations  to  the  Gospel,  and  of  their 
earnest  desire  to  make  it  known  to  others. 

The  ardent  spirit  of  Williams  was  not  to 
be  restrained  within  the  boundaries  of 
Raiatea.  He  longed  to  branch  out  into  the 
regions  beyond.  From  time  to  time  he 
heard  amongst  the  natives  strange  songs 
and  traditions  of  an  island  which  they  called 
Rarotonga,  and  all  he  heard  concerning  it 
made  him  anxious  to  discover  it,  and  make 
it  the  centre  of  another  missionary  effort. 
It  so  happened  in  God's  providence  that, 
while  he  was  meditating  on  the  subject, 
some  natives  from  this  then  unknown  island 
arrived  at  the  missionary  settlement,  and 
confirmed  his  resolution.  '*  I  cannot,"  he 
said,  "  content  myself  with  the  narrow  limits 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  155 

of  a  single  reef;  and  if  means  are  not  pro- 
vided, a  continent  would  be  to  me  infinitely 
preferable ;  for  there,  if  you  cannot  ride,  you 
can  walk ;  but  to  these  isolated  islands  a 
ship  must  carry  you."  Year  after  year  he 
appealed  to  Christians  in  England  to  enable 
him  to  procure  a  vessel  wherewith  to  carry 
out  his  heroic  purpose,  but  his  appeals 
proved  fruitless.  At  length,  undertaking  a 
serious  pecuniary  responsibility,  he  procured 
a  schooner  called  the  E?ideavour,  and,  with 
some  native  Christians  and  the  Rarotongan 
visitors,  set  out  upon  his  voyage  of  dis- 
covery. The  story  reads  like  a  romance, 
and  reminds  one  of  Columbus  and  his  search 
for  the  new  world.  Baffled  day  after  day  in 
his  efforts  to  discover  the  traditionary  island, 
he  still  persevered.  The  provisions  were  all 
but  exhausted ;  the  captain  came  to  the 
missionary  early  one  morning,  and  said  to 
him,  *'  We  must  give  up  the  search,  or  we 
shall  all  be  starved."  Williams  begged  him 
to  steer  on  until  eight  o'clock,  and  promised 
that  if  the  island  were  not  then  in  sight  he 
would  return  home.     It  was  an  anxious  hour. 


156  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

Four  times  had  a  native  been  sent  to  the 
top  of  the  mast,  and  he  was  now  ascending 
for  the  fifth.  Only  half-an-hour  of  the  time 
agreed  upon  remained  unexpired,  when 
suddenly  the  cloud-mist  rolled  away,  the 
majestic  hills  of  Rarotonga,  the  chief  of  the 
Hervey  group,  stood  full  in  view,  and  the 
excited  sailor  shouted,  "  Teie,  teie,  taua 
fenua  nei !  "  "Here,  here  is  the  land  we 
have  been  seeking !  " 

It  would  occupy  more  space  than  we  can 
spare,  to  tell  how  the  story  of  Raiatea  was 
repeated  at  Rarotonga,  and  how,  within 
twelve  months  of  its  discovery,  the  whole 
population,  numbering  some  seven  thousand, 
had  renounced  idolatry,  and  were  engaged 
in  erecting  a  place  of  worship,  six  hundred 
feet  in  length,  to  accommodate  the  over- 
whelming congregations. 

But  not  even  triumphs  like  these  could 
satisfy  the  grand  aspirations  of  this  devoted 
man.  He  looked  out  upon  the  vast  Poly- 
nesian world  of  islands  which  still  remained 
unevangelized  around  him  and  beyond  him, 
and  he  resolved  to  build  a  ship  of  his  own, 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  157 

in  which  he  might  roam  through  the  vast 
Archipelago  of  the  western  world.  His 
account  of  the  building  of  that  ship  reads 
like  another  romance,  and  has  been  com- 
pared to  a  chapter  in  De  Foe ;  but  while  it 
equals  that  story  in  interest,  it  has  the  great 
advantage  of  reality.  With  none  to  help 
him  but  the  natives  whom  he  had  raised  from 
savagedom  ;  with  only  a  few  rude  tools,  and 
with  no  experience  save  that  which  he  had 
acquired  as  an  ironmonger's  apprentice,  he 
planned  and  carried  to  completion  his 
ambitious  project.  The  natives  looked  on 
in  wonder  as  the  teacher  built  his  ship. 
One  day,  when  he  had  forgotten  his  square, 
he  wrote  for  it  to  his  wife,  upon  a  chip,  which 
he  told  a  chief  to  carry  to  Mrs.  Williams. 
'*  What  shall  I  say?"  inquired  the  puzzled 
Rarotongan.  "Nothing,"  replied  the  mission- 
ary, "  the  chip  will  tell  her ;  "  and  when,  on 
reading  the  message,  she  gave  him  the 
square,  the  astonished  chieftain  ran  through 
the  settlement,  exclaiming,  "Oh!  the  wisdom 
of  these  English!  they  make  chips  talk!  " 
and   he    tied   a   string    to   the    mysterious 


158  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

missive  and  hung  it  as  an  amulet  around 
his  neck ! 

The  story  of  his  bellows  is  well  known. 
There  were  only  four  goats  on  the  island, 
and  three  of  them  were  killed  to  furnish  the 
leather  for  it.  But  during  the  night  the  rats 
of  Rarotonga,  which  were  like  one  of  the 
plagues  of  Egypt,  congregated  in  vast 
numbers,  and  left  nothing  of  the  bellows 
except  the  boards.  Williams  then  ingeni- 
ously constructed  a  blowing  machine,  on 
the  principle  of  the  common  pump,  which 
defied  the  rats,  and  accomplished  his  purpose. 
And  then  the  builder  was  soon  on  board  his 
*'  Messenger  of  Peace,"  which  the  natives 
called  "the  Ship  of  God,"  and  was  carrying 
the  glad  tidings  of  the  Gospel  to  the  sur- 
rounding shores. 

And  this  led  to  the  establishment  of  his 
third,  and  perhaps  most  interesting  station, 
in  the  Samoan  or  Navigator's  group.  Less 
superstitious  and  more  intelligent  than  the 
inhabitants  of  the  Hervey  or  Society  Islands, 
the  Samoans  were  even  more  ready  to  re- 
ceive the   Gospel.     In  some  instances  con- 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  159 

verts  from  the  other  islands  had  prepared 
them  for  the  missionary ;  and  he  was  met  by 
the  joyful  greeting-,  '*  We  are  the  sons  of 
the  Word!"  In  others,  the  fame  of  "the 
wonderful  white  man  "  had  preceded  him, 
and  secured  a  hearty  welcome.  His  progess 
was  like  that  of  a  conqueror,  and  wherever 
he  went  preaching  the  Gospel  of  God*s 
grace,  the  thronging  multitudes  flocked  to 
him  '*  as  doves  to  their  windows,"  until  out 
of  60,000  some  50,000  were  under  instruc- 
tion. His  visits  to  the  surrounding  islands 
were  looked  for  with  most  intense  anxiety, 
and  song  and  dance  bore  witness  to  the 
influence  which  he  exercised,  and  to  the  affec- 
tion in  which  he  was  held.  One  of  these 
Samoan  ballads  has  been  happily  preserved  : 

"  Let  us  talk  of  Viriamu. 
Let  cocoa-nuts  grow  for  him  in  peace  for  months. 
When  strong  the  east  winds  blow,  our  hearts  forget  him 

not. 
Let  us  greatly  love  the  Christian  land  of  the  great  white 

chief. 
All  victors  are  we  now,  for  we  all  have  one  God ! 
No  food  is  sacred  now.    All  kinds  offish  we  catch  and  eat. 
Even  the  sting-ray. 


i6o  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

"  The  birds  are  crying  for  Viriamu, 
His  ship  has  sailed  another  way. 
The  birds  are  crying  for  Viriamu, 
Long  time  is  he  in  coming. 
Will  he  ever  come  again  ? 
Will  he  ever  come  again  ?  " 

We  doubt  whether,  since  the  days  of  the 
Apostles,  any  one  man  was  the  means  of 
winning  so  many  thousands  to  the  true  faith 
of  Christ  by  the  preaching  of  the  gospel ; 
and  he  has  left  this  striking  testimony  con- 
cerning his  work  :  *'  Having  witnessed  the 
introduction  of  Christianity  into  a  greater 
number  of  islands  than  any  other  missionary, 
I  can  safely  affirm  that  in  no  single  instance 
has  the  civil  power  been  employed  in  its 
propagation."  And  again,  having  noticed 
the  moral  influence  of  the  converted  chief- 
tains upon  their  people,  he  says:  "Chris- 
tianity has  triumphed,  not  by  human 
authority,  but  by  its  own  moral  power,  by 
the  light  which  it  spread  abroad,  and,  by  the 
benevolent  spirit  which  it  disseminated ;  for 
kindness  is  the  key  to  the  human  hearty  whether 
it  be  that  of  savage  or  civilized  man  ;  and 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  i6i 

when,  instead  of  being  barbarously  murdered, 
they  were  treated  with  kindness,  the  multi- 
tude immediately  embraced  the  truth,  for 
they  naturally  attributed  the  mighty  trans- 
formation in  these  formerly  sanguinary  chief- 
tains to  the  benign  influence  of  the  Gospel 
upon  their  minds." 

Eighteen  years  had  now  been  spent  in 
labours  such  as  these.  Several  helpers  had 
come  out  to  aid  him,  and  he  had  located 
them  along  with  native  teachers  in  several 
leading  stations,  so  that  he  could  say, 
*'  There  is  not  an  island  of  importance  with- 
in two  thousand  miles  of  Tahiti  to  which  the 
glad  tidings  of  salvation  have  not  been  con- 
veyed." But  a  vast  work  remained  still  to 
be  accomplished.  New  Caledonia,  the  New 
Hebrides,  and,  farther  off.  New  Guinea,  with 
their  countless  multitudes,  lay  in  darkness. 
**  The  harvest  was  plenteous,  but  the 
labourers  were  few ;  '*  and  so  he  resolved  to 
visit  England,  in  order  to  tell  of  the  300,000 
savages  already  brought  under  Christian 
instruction ;  to  get  his  Rarotongan  version  of 
the   Scriptures   through   the  press ;    and  to 

n 


i62  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

beseech  his  countrymen  to  come  "  to  the  help 
of  the  Lord  against  the  mighty." 

He  reached  London  in  1834,  and  it  is  not 
too  much  to  say  that  this  visit  did  more  to 
fan  the  flame  of  missionary  interest  than  any 
event  which  had  occurred  for  a  century. 
When,  at  the  end  of  four  years,  he  sailed 
down  the  Thames  in  the  Caindeii  (a  vessel 
of  200  tons  burden,  which  had  been  ex- 
pressly purchased  for  his  use,  at  a  cost  of 
;^2,6oo),  he  was  accompanied  on  his  voyage 
by  sixteen  other  missionaries  and  their  wives, 
and  was  followed  by  such  a  gale  of  prayer 
and  sympathy  from  the  tens  of  thousands 
who  had  been  thrilled  by  his  narratives,  as 
plainly  testified  how  much  his  visit  had  been 
blessed  to  hearts  at  home. 

Visiting  in  turn  all  his  old  stations,  he 
planted  schools  in  some,  and  left  fresh  la- 
bourers in  others,  and  soon  we  find  him  at 
the  Samoas  again ;  where,  fixing  upon  Upolu 
as  his  home,  and  making  it  the  third  and  as 
it  proved  the  last  centre  of  his  evangelistic 
achievements,  he  yearned  over  the  benighted 
islands  that  still  lay   beyond    him  in  ''the 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  163 

shadow  of  death."  Erromanga  was  the  key 
to  the  New  Hebrides,  and  they  in  their  turn 
to  the  Papuan  races  of  New  Guinea ;  and 
so  he  set  his  heart  upon  Erromanga;  though, 
with  a  strange  and  unaccountable  foreboding, 
his  wife  endeavoured  to  extract  a  promise 
from  him  that  he  would  not  land  upon  its 
shores.  His  last  Sunday  amongst  the 
Samoans  seemed  wrapt  in  gloom.  The 
sorrow  of  his  people  on  parting  from  him 
was  intense  ;  his  own  previsions  were  dis- 
tinct as  to  the  difficulties  of  dealing  with  a 
race  who  were  known  to  be  violent  and 
suspicious,  and  who  had  been  frequently 
exasperated  by  the  cruelties  of  the  white 
men,  who  visited  their  coasts  from  time  to 
time  in  search  of  sandal-wood;  all  these 
things  pressed  upon  his  heart,  naturally 
buoyant  though  it  was,  and  probably  led 
him  to  select  the  Apostle's  text  at  Miletus 
for  his  last  address:  "They  all  wept  sore, 
and  fell  upon  Paul's  neck,  and  kissed  him; 
sorrowing  most  of  all  for  the  words  which  he 
spake,  that  they  should  see  his  face  no  more." 
On  the  20th   November,     1839,    Dillon's 


i€4  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

Bay  was  reached,  and  a  party  from  the  ship 
visited  the  shore.  The  natives  showed  no 
hostile  attitude,  but  were  shy  and  sullen, 
and  it  was  observed  that  all  the  women 
were  kept  out  of  sight.  Although  this 
created  some  suspicion,  still  the  presence  of 
several  children  at  play  removed  it.  Mr. 
Williams  was  the  second  of  the  little  band 
of  four  who  landed.  He  offered  his  hand 
to  the  natives,  but  they  declined  it ;  he  then 
presented  some  cloth,  which  they  accepted. 
He  was  engaged  in  enlisting  the  attention 
of  the  children,  when  a  cry  of  "  danger " 
from  the  boats  caused  all  the  party  to  run. 
The  captain  and  a  Mr.  Cunningham  escaped. 
Mr.  Harris,  who  had  been  foremost  in  the 
advance,  was  killed  at  once;  and  just  as 
our  missionary  hero  reached  the  beach,, 
and  was  almost  out  of  danger,  he  stumbled 
in  the  surf.  A  heavy  blow  from  a  club 
felled  him  in  the  water ;  it  was  repeated 
again  and  again  as  he  regained  his  feet ; 
and  a  whole  flight  of  arrows  speedily  com- 
pleted the  dreadful  tragedy. 

So  fell  the  martyr  of  Erromanga,  at  the 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  165 

early  age  of  forty-three,  but  not  until  he 
had  accomplished  a  work  which  has  made 
his  name  immortal.  The  last  words  he  ever 
wrote,  and  which  were  left  unfinished  in  his 
memorandum-book  but  a  few  hours  before  his 
death,  have  a  prophetic  ring  about  them  : — 

"  This  is  a  most  memorable  day,  a  day 
which  will  be  transmitted  to  posterity ;  and 
the  record  of  events  which  have  this  day 
happened  will  last  long  after  those  who 
have  taken  an  active  part  in  them  shall 
have  retired  into  the  shades  of  oblivion; 
and  the  results  of  this  day  will  be " 

There  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  horrid 
orgies  of  cannibalism  followed  closely  upon 
the  murder;  for  when  H.M.S.  Favoitrite 
visited  the  island  to  recover  the  bodies,  a 
few  bones  were  given  up  as  the  only  remains 
of  the  man  who  had  done  so  much  good  in 
his  day  and  generation.  These  were  carried 
to  Upolu,  and  laid  beside  his  desolate  home 
and  widowed  church.  The  noblest  monu- 
ment that  could  be  raised  to  his  memory 
was  the  resolution  of  his  Samoan  converts 
to  carry  on  that  work,  in  the  pursuit  of  which 


i66  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

their  beloved  teacher  fell,  and  to  plant  the 
standard  of  the  cross  upon  the  soil  of 
Erromanga. 

Again  and  again  they  attempted  it  at  the 
peril  of  their  lives ;  but  each  repulse  only- 
led  to  fresh  endeavours,  which  at  length 
were  crowned  with  success.  Dr.  Selwyn, 
the  Bishop  of  New  Zealand,  contributed  in 
no  small  degree  to  this  blessed  result.  On 
his  first  visit  to  the  New  Hebrides  he  touched 
at  Erromanga  with  a  native  teacher.  They 
knelt  together  on  its  blood-stained  shore, 
and  asked  God  to  open  a  way  for  His 
Gospel  to  the  degraded  inhabitants.  He 
brought  some  of  the  natives  with  him  to 
New  Zealand,  instructed  them  in  the  Word 
of  God,  and  sent  them  back  to  their  country- 
men to  create  a  more  favourable  impression 
concerning  white  men  than  prevailed  at  the 
period  which  we  have  just  described.  At 
length,  in  1852,  two  native  Christians  from 
the  Hervey  Islands  were  landed,  and  one 
of  those  chiefs  who  were  most  forward  in 
giving  them  a  welcome  was  the  very  man 
who  had  murdered  Williams.     It  turned  out 


THE  MISSION  FIELD}  167 

upon  inquiry  that  some  foreigners  had  killed 
his  own  son,  and  that  he  had  avenged  him- 
self upon  the  first  white  man  who  came 
within  his  reach ;  but  the  very  club  which 
struck  the  fatal  blow  was  surrendered  to  the 
missionaries,  and  the  prayer  which  had  been 
offered  up  on  that  ensanguined  beach  was 
at  length  fully  answered. 

Erromanga,  however,  was  to  have  other 
associations  with  the  noble  army  of  martyrs 
before  that  blessed  consummation  could  be 
attained.  In  1861,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gordon, 
a  devoted  missionary  pair,  were  savagely 
massacred  by  some  of  the  heathen.  It  is 
a  touching  link  between  two  other  martyr- 
doms and  theirs,  that  they  were  buried  close 
to  the  spot  where  Williams  fell,  and  that 
the  funeral  service  of  the  Church  of  England 
was  read  over  their  graves  by  Bishop  Pat- 
teson,  who  was  himself  destined  to  become 
"  the  Martyr  of  Melanesia." 

The  deaths  of  these  eminent  Missionaries 
have  contributed,  more  perhaps  than  did  their 
devoted  lives,  to  awaken  a  spirit  of  sympathy 
with  their  work,  and  to  inspire  a  belief  in  its 


i68       HEROES   OF  THE  MISSION  FIELD. 

reality.  They  show  that  the  spirit  of  self- 
sacrifice  is  not  extinct  in  the  Church  of  God, 
and  that  as  in  Apostolic  times,  so  now,  there 
are  those  who  '*  count  not  their  lives  dear 
unto  themselves,"  so  that  they  "may  finish 
their  course  with  joy,"  and  bear  the  glad 
tidings  of  salvation  unto  the  very  ends  of 
the  earth. 

**  They  climbed  the  steep  ascent  of  heav'n 
Through  peril,  toil,  and  pain ; 
O  God,  to  us  may  grace  be  giv'n 
To  follow  in  their  train  !" 


VII. 

WILLIAM    AUGUSTINE     BERNARD  JOHNSON 
WEST  AFRICA.     1 816—1823. 

The  name  that  stands  at  the  head  of  this 
chapter  is  not  so  well  known  as  those  which 
have  preceded  it  in  these  sketches ;  but  It 
is  no  less  entitled  to  a  place  beside  them, 
and  deserves  to  be  better  known,  both  on 
account  of  the  personal  character  of  the  man 
who  bore  it,  and  of  the  marvellous  work 
which  he  was  permitted  to  accomplish. 

The  same  year  that  saw  Williams  going 
forth  to  Polynesia  beheld  Johnson  going 
forth  to  Western  Africa.  The  fields  were 
In  many  respects  utterly  unlike,  and  the 
characteristics  of  the  men  were  widely 
different.  The  isles  of  the  Pacific,  notwith- 
standing all  their  beauty  and  fertility,  were 
inhabited  by  races  distinguished  for  their 
vice  and  ferocity ;  they  needed  a  conqueror 


I/O  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

and  a  civllizer,  and  they  found  one  in 
Williams.  Africa,  darkened  by  devil- 
worship,  and  crushed  and  brutalized  by  the 
slave-trade,  required  an  emancipator  and 
a  *'  son  of  consolation,"  and  she  found  both 
in  Johnson.  Each  was  admirably  suited  for 
the  work  which  God  had  given  him  to  do  ; 
and  though  the  former  laboured  for  mor-e 
than  twenty  years,  and  the  latter  for  less 
than  seven,  the  successes  which  they  indivi- 
dually achieved  will  endure  comparison. 

Johnson  was  by  birth  a  Hanoverian,  and 
had  passed  a  few  years  in  a  German  count- 
ing-house ;  but  when  the  call  to  missionary 
labour  reached  him  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
eight,  he  filled  the  very  humble  position  of 
workman  in  a  sugar-refiner's  establishment 
at  Whitechapel  in  London.  The  story  of 
his  own  conversion,  which  had  happened 
three  years  previously,  was  a  remarkable  one. 
It  was  war-time ;  his  wages  were  scanty ; 
provisions  were  dear;  his  wife  and  himself 
were  on  the  brink  of  starvation  ;  and  the 
poor  labourer  was  brought  down  to  the 
very  verge  of  despair.     He  had  come  home 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  171 

one  evening  utterly  hopeless,  and  with 
scarcely  raiment  to  cover  him  ;  there  was 
no  food  in  the  house ;  his  wife  was  weeping ; 
he  threw  himself  upon  the  bed  beside  her, 
and  tossed  to  and  fro  in  an  agony  of  woe — • 
"  No  friend  to  go  to."  "  What  to  do  I  did 
not  know." 

Just  then  the  remembrance  of  a  verse 
which  he  had  learned  when  only  eight  years 
old  flashed  across  his  mind.  It  had  been 
impressed  upon  him  in  a  curious  way.  The 
schoolmaster  expected  every  child  to  repeat 
on  Monday  morning  some  portion  of  the 
sermon  which  had  been  preached  on  the 
previous  Sunday.  On  one  occasion  the 
only  part  that  William  Johnson  could  re- 
member was  the  verse,  '*  Call  upon  me  in 
the  day  of  trouble,  I  will  deliver  thee,  and 
thou  shalt  glorify  Me."  As  it  was  only  a 
text,  the  schoolmaster  did  not  consider  it 
sufficient,  and  expressed  his  dissatisfaction 
with  his  young  pupil.  This  grieved  the  boy 
exceedingly,  but  it  had  the  effect  of  impress- 
ing the  passage  indelibly  upon  his  mind. 
And  so  in  the  anguish  of  his  soul  that  verse 


172  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

came  back  to  the  despairing  man.  *'  Call 
upon  Me  !  "  But  will  He  hear  me  if  I  call? 
Have  I  not  sinned  against  Him  ?  Oh,  what 
shall  I  do  ?  no  worldly  prospects,  and  an 
angry  God!  He  passed  a  wretched  night; 
went  early  to  his  work ;  came  back  to  his 
home  at  what  to  other  men  was  breakfast- 
hour,  but  came,  because  to  stay  behind 
would  only  have  awakened  suspicion  as  to  his 
misery.  His  wife  met  him  at  the  door  with 
a  joyous  smile;  she  had  obtained  unexpected 
employment,  and  wages  in  advance,  and  his 
breakfast  was  ready.  "  My  feelings  at  that 
moment,"  he  afterwards  wrote,  "  I  cannot 
well  express.  The  greatest  sinner  in  the 
world,  and  God  so  merciful !  "  He  remem- 
bered that  there  was  an  evening  service  in 
the  German  church  at  the  Savoy,  and  he 
resolved  to  go  to  it.  A  Moravian  missionary 
preached,  and  that  sermon  brought  him  to 
Christ. 

From  that  moment  he  longed  to  bring 
others  to  the  same  Saviour.  His  wife  was 
the  first  object  of  his  solicitude,  and  though 
at  first  she  resisted  his  endeavours  and  en- 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  173 

treaties,  she  was  eventually  given  to  his 
prayers,  and  afterwards  became  his  willing- 
and  devoted  helper  in  his  work.  He  attended 
Bible  and  missionary  meetings,  and  on  one 
occasion  was  present  when  three  young  men 
were  dismissed  to  their  distant  field  of 
labour.  As  one  of  these  opened  his  heart, 
and  told  how  he  had  been  led  to  think  of 
engaging  in  missionary  work,  Johnson's 
heart  was  stirred  :  he  thought  of  the  misery 
of  the  heathen ;  of  all  that  Christ  had  done 
for  himself,  and  he  felt  as  if  he  too  must  go. 
His  own  words  are  remarkable.  "These 
were  my  feelings  that  night :  I  was  drowned 
in  tears  ;  I  turned  myself  to  the  wall,  and 
gave  free  course  to  the  feelings  of  my  heart. 
In  this  state  was  my  mind  for  some  time. 
"  Oh,  if  I  could  but  go  !  here  am  I,  O  Lord, 
send  me."  There  were,  however,  many 
difficulties  in  the  way,  and  he  tried  to  quench 
the  new-born  desire.  This  led  to  coldness 
and  darkness  and  carelessness.  Another 
address  from  the  pulpit  aroused  him.  **  Are 
any  of  you  in  darkness?  "  said  the  preacher, 
"  examine  yourselves ;  for  something  is  the 


174  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

reason  that  God  hides  His  face."  Johnson 
examined  himself,  and  the  issue  was  that  he 
was  constrained  to  cry,  "That  is  it!  that  is 
it !  Lord,  to  Thee  nothing  is  impossible. 
Here  am  I,  send  me  if  it  is  Thy  will." 

He  who  had  put  the  desire  into  his  heart 
soon  opened  the  way  for  its  accomplish- 
ment A  countryman  of  his  own,  Henry 
During,  had  been  accepted  by  the  Church 
Missionary  Society  as  a  schoolmaster  for 
Sierra  Leone.  He  called  on  Johnson,  and 
told  him  that  they  wished  to  send  another 
with  him  in  a  like  capacity.  The  case  was 
laid  before  the  fathers  of  that  Society,  and 
they  at  once  accepted  him.  And  so  these 
two  men  went  forth  in  the  same  ship  (1816), 
were  afterwards  ordained  together  on  the 
same  day,  and  the  one  at  Regent' s-Town 
and  the  other  at  Gloucester  wrought  such  a 
wondrous  work  for  God  in  Africa  as  more 
than  justified  the  Society  in  its  choice,  and 
laid  the  foundation  of  those  native  churches 
which  are  now  the  hope  and  glory  of  that 
dark  continent. 

But  we  must  now  turn   to  the  state  of 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  175 

things  at  Sierra  Leone,  in  order  to  under- 
stand the  work  which  lay  before  our  mis- 
sionary. This  peninsula  on  the  western 
coast  of  Africa  had  been  discovered  by  the 
Portuguese,  and  from  them  received  its 
name,  which  means  "the  Mountain  of  Lions." 
It  had  been  the  theatre  of  some  of  the 
darkest,  as  it  was  to  become  that  of  some  of 
the  brightest,  scenes  in  that  strange  land. 
Here,  as  at  various  other  places  along  the 
coast,  the  slave-trade  had  been  perpetrating 
its  cruelties,  and  pushing  its  horrid  trade  in 
human  flesh  and  blood.  The  native  chiefs 
were  induced  by  the  offers  of  enormous 
profits  to  engage  in  this  accursed  traffic  ; 
and  white  men,  calling  themselves  Christians, 
were  those  who  held  out  the  tempting  bribe, 
and  then  consummated  their  wickedness  by 
carrying  off  the  wretched  victims  of  their 
avarice  into  distant  lands,  to  pine  and  die 
beneath  the  lash  of  their  task-masters. 

The  captives  taken,  some  of  them  in  mid- 
night expeditions,  and  others  in  cruel  wars, 
were  chained  together,  and  driven  in  gangs 
to  the  sea- board,  where  they  were  secured 


176  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

in  barracoons  until  the  slave-ships  arrived 
in  sight.  Sad  and  dreadful  were  the  scenes 
to  be  witnessed  inside  and  around  those 
horrid  enclosures.  Here  you  might  see  a 
melancholy  procession  of  forty  or  fifty  negro 
girls,  advancing  with  bleeding  feet,  and  all 
bound  together  by  an  iron  chain  passed 
through  the  collars  which  clasped  their 
necks.  There  you  might  behold  a  gang  of 
sorrowful  men,  fastened  together  in  pairs, 
and  driven  along,  with  oaths  and  curses,  to 
their  terrible  prison-house.  From  within 
might  be  heard  the  wail  of  miserable 
mothers,  whose  children  had  been  torn  from 
them,  or  whose  infants  had  been  put  to 
death  ;  and  often  amidst  these  agonizing 
cries  there  arose  the  groans  of  the  dying, 
whose  sufferings  and  exhaustion  were  about 
to  release  them  from  the  miseries  of  life. 

By-and-by  the  slave-ship  is  in  sight,  and 
the  wretched  captives  are  transferred  to  the 
care  of  the  hardened  slave-dealers  on  board. 
Who  can  picture  the  horrors  of  that  "middle 
passage "  ?  Imagine  four  hundred  miser- 
able beings  crammed  into  a  hold  that  was 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  177 

only  twelve  yards  long,  by  seven  wide,  and 
three  and  a  half  high!  Packed  "like  her- 
rings in  a  barrel ;  "  stifled  with  the  suffocat- 
ing heat  ;  kicked  and  beaten  when  they 
ventured  to  complain,  and  scantily  supplied 
with  food  to  eat,  or  still  worse,  left  without 
any  water  with  which  to  quench  their  thirst ! 
No  marvel  that  scarcely  three  out  of  every  ten 
reached  their  destination,  and  that  many  of 
the  survivors  were  so  broken  down  in  consti- 
tution that  it  was  more  economical  for  their 
new  proprietors  to  "  use  them  up,"  and  to 
purchase  fresh  slaves,  than  to  give  them 
such  nourishment  and  medicine  as  might 
prolong  their  lives. 

But  the  spirit  of  Christianity  at  length 
put  forth  its  power.  The  voices  of  Sharp, 
and  Thornton,  and  Clarkson,  and  Wilber- 
force  pleaded  the  cause  of  humanity  and 
religion.  English  judges  declared  that 
slaves  could  not  live  on  British  ground,  and 
that  the  moment  they  touched  it  they  were 
free.  England  awakened  to  a  sense  of  her 
sin  and  of  her  responsibility.  At  an  enor- 
mous   cost,    the    nation     emancipated    the 

12 


178  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

bondsmen  in  her  own  colonies,  and  then 
took  measures  to  check  the  African  slave- 
trade.  With  a  view  to  this,  our  squadrons 
watched  the  coast,  pursued  the  slave-ships, 
and  liberated  the  captives  on  the  shores  of 
their  own  land. 

But  the  efforts  of  Christian  men  did  not 
cease  with  the  political  emancipation  of  the 
slave.  There  was  yet  a  higher  liberty  to  be 
achieved.  The  charter  of  missionary  effort 
ran  thus  :  **  Ye  shall  know  the  truth,  and  the 
truth  shall  make  you  free,"  and  British 
Christians  resolved  to  extend  that  freedom 
to  the  down-trodden  sons  of  Ham.  By  a 
concurrence  of  providential  circumstances 
Sierra  Leone  became  the  place  where  this 
noble  enterprise  was  to  be  put  into  execu- 
tion. Thither  the  English  cruisers  brought 
the  manumitted  slaves,  and  by  a  happy 
arrangement,  entered  into  between  the 
British  Government  and  our  missionaries, 
placed  them  under  Christian  instruction. 
Among  these  emancipated  Africans  were  to 
be  found  the  representatives  of  numerous 
tribes  in  the   interior,  and  samples  of  150 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  179 

different  dialects  have  been  collected  to- 
gether from  the  Queen's  Yard  at  Sierra 
Leone.  Thus  marvellously  had  the  pro- 
vidence of  God  overruled  the  cruelties  of 
the  slave-trade  to  accomplish  purposes  of 
Divine  mercy,  and  to  bring  whole  races 
within  the  reach  of  missionary  influences. 

It  was  to  labour  amongst  these  poor 
negroes  that  Johnson  went  forth.  The 
sainted  Edward  Bickersteth  had  preceded 
him  to  the  colony  to  make  arrangements, 
and  on  the  arrival  of  our  missionary,  placed 
him  at  Hogbrook,  better  known  in  after 
days  as  Regent' s-Town,  to  take  the  charge 
and  education  of  some  1,500  of  these  miser- 
able negroes.  I  call  them  miserable,  for 
the  iron  had  indeed  entered  into  their 
soul.  Emaciated  by  hunger,  and  ulce- 
rated with  disease,  they  were  dying  at 
the  rate  of  seven  or  eight  a  day,  and  those 
who  were  fortunate  enough  to  survive  were 
degraded  in  mind  as  well  as  in  body.  John- 
son felt  deeply  depressed,  and  the  more  so 
because,  notwithstanding  all  his  kindness  to 
them,  his  wretched  proteges  seemed  callous 


i8o  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

and  indifferent.  Sunday  came,  and,  to  his 
mortification,  only  nine  attended,  and  these 
were  almost  naked.  The  truth  was,  they 
had  suffered  so  much  at  the  hands  of 
white  men  that  they  were  still  suspicious 
of  their  intentions.  But  Johnson  persevered. 
He  had  to  dole  out  their  daily  allowance  of 
rice,  and  he  took  advantage  of  every  oppor- 
tunity to  show  them  sympathy  and  consider- 
ation. This  soon  began  to  tell.  The  Sun- 
day congregations  overflowed  his  cottage, 
and  had  to  assemble  in  a  large  shed,  and 
thence  to  move  into  the  open  air.  His 
school  was  thronged;  but  how  was  he  to 
teach  it?  His  pupils  had  never  seen  a  book, 
or  known  a  letter.  He  selected  twelve  boys, 
and  taught  them  the  first  four  letters  of  the 
alphabet.  He  then  divided  his  school  into 
twelve  classes,  and  made  each  boy  teach  a 
class.  He  next  taught  his  swarthy  pupil 
teachers  four  letters  more ;  these  communi- 
cated their  knowledge  to  the  rest,  and  so  by 
degrees  the  whole  alphabet  was  mastered. 
Before  twelve  months  had  passed,  some  of 
his  scholars  were  reading  the  New  Testament. 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  i8t 

But  Johnson  was  not  content  with  his  suc- 
cess as  a  schoolmaster.  His  heart  yearned 
over  his  charge,  and  he  laboured  to  raise 
them  from  their  spiritual  bondage  and  de- 
gradation. Happily  his  journals  are  pre- 
served, and  they  give  us  some  idea  of  his 
unceasing  and  prayerful  labours  as  an 
evangelist.  He  had  been  set  apart  for  the 
ministry  by  the  Lutheran  missionaries,  but 
his  work  had  to  be  carried  on  amidst  great 
and  manifold  difficulties.  The  climate  was 
deadly  in  the  extreme;  the  fellow-helpers 
who  came  out  to  him  were  constantly  drop- 
ping and  dying  at  his  side.  The  crowded 
graveyard  at  Kissy  is  to  this  day  a  memorial 
of  the  dauntless  bravery  of  that  heroic  band 
who  formed  the  forlorn  hope  of  Africa.  He 
was  himself  frequently  prostrated  by  fever ; 
his  noble  wife  was  bearing  up  against  bad 
health  and  privations ;  and  at  the  end  of 
three  years  he  had  to  take  her  to  England 
in  order  to  save  her  life. 

But  what  was  the  record  which  he  was 
able  to  give  concerning  those  three  years  of 
devoted    labour  ?      He    could    tell    of    an 


r82  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

organized  and  Christian  community,  living" 
together  in  a  well-laid-out  and  well-built 
town  of  their  own  construction,  with  a 
church  capable  of  containing  1,300  people, 
and  filled  to  overflowing,  three  times  on 
each  Lord's-day,  with  attentive  congrega- 
tions. He  could  speak  of  263  communi- 
cants; of  a  daily  service  at  which  never 
less  than  500,  and  sometimes  as  many 
as  900,  attended ;  and  best  of  all,  of  real 
conversion  unto  God,  and  of  visible  and 
undeniable  proofs  thereof  in  the  altered 
life  and  conduct  of  his  people. 

An  aged  and  honoured  missionary  lately 
informed  me,  that  when  Johnson  visited 
England  (18 19),  he  told  him  that  the  first 
evidence  of  a  real  impression  having  been 
made  upon  the  native  mind  presented 
itself  at  a  time  when  his  own  heart  was 
overpowered  by  his  apparent  want  of  suc- 
cess, and  when  he  was  ready  to  surrender 
his  work  in  utter  despair.  He  had  wandered 
into  the  dark  forest,  and  sat  down  to  medi- 
tate and  mourn,  when  suddenly  he  heard  a 
native  voice  from  amongst  the  thick  bushes 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  183 

breathing  forth  the  heart's  anxieties  in 
earnest  prayer  to  God.  It  was  a  **  token  for 
good,"  and  the  missionary  went  back  to  his 
labour  strengthened  and  comforted,  to  meet 
from  day  to  day  with  fresh  and  increasing 
proofs  that  his  "  labour  was  not  in  vain  in 
the  Lord." 

The  following  is  an  extract  from  a  report 
sent  home  to  the  British  Government  by  the 
authorities  at  Sierra  Leone  : — 

"Let  it  be  considered  that  not  more  than 
a  few  years  have  passed  since  the  greater 
number  of  Mr.  Johnson's  population  were 
taken  out  of  the  holds  of  slave-ships  ;  and 
who  can  compare  their  present  condition 
with  that  from  which  they  were  rescued, 
without  seeing  manifest  cause  to  exclaim, 
*  The  hand  of  Heaven  is  in  this  ! '  Who 
can  contrast  the  simple  and  sincere  Chris- 
tian worship  which  precedes  and  follows 
their  daily  labours  with  the  grovelling  and 
malignant  superstitions  of  their  original 
state,  their  greegrees,  their  red-water,  their 
witchcraft,  and  their  devil-houses,  without 
feeling    and    acknowledging    a   miracle    of 


184  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

good,  which  the  immediate  interposition  of 
the  Almighty  alone  could  have  wrought  ? 
And  what  greater  blessing  could  man  or 
nation  desire  or  enjoy,  than  to  have  been 
made  the  instruments  of  conferring  such 
sublime  benefits  on  the  most  abject  of  the 
human  race  ?  " 

Nothing  strikes  one  more,  in  reading  the 
records  of  West  African  missions,  than  the 
childlike  simplicity  of  the  people's  faith,  and 
the  intense  earnestness  of  their  devotions. 
Johnson  records  many  of  their  prayers.  We 
give  one  which  in  its  broken  English  and 
deep  intensity  may  be  taken  as  a  sample  of 
the  rest.  The  missionary  was  standing  out- 
side his  schoolroom  window,  and  overheard 
a  scholar  praying  thus:  "O  Lord,  we  have 
been  so  long  on  the  way  to  hell,  and  we 
have  no  been  saved ;  we  been  hear  your 
good  word  so  long,  and  we  been  no  consider. 
O  learn  us  how  to  follow  you  now.  We  live 
nigh  hell.  O  Lord  Jesus,  save  us,  save  us ! 
We  want  you  to  do  it  now — now  we  want 
you  to  save  us.  O  Lord  Jesus,  hear  us  this 
night !  our  sins  too  much ;  O  save  us — save 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  185 

US."  No  wonder  that  the  pious  missionary 
should  add,  *'  I  could  stay  no  longer,  but 
went  home.  My  heart  was  full ;  I  gave  free 
course  to  the  fulness  of  it.  I  was  drowned 
in  tears.  O  my  God  and  Saviour,  what 
hast  Thou  done !  What  shall  I  render  unto 
Thee?" 

The  negroes  were,  as  may  be  gathered 
from  the  foregoing,  an  excitable  people,  and 
it  needed  great  wisdom  on  Johnson's  part  to 
keep  their  enthusiasm  within  bounds,  and  to 
distinguish  between  what  was  real  and  what 
was  only  emotional  in  their  impressions. 
Indeed,  he  had  in  this  respect  to  contend 
with  two  opposite  influences.  The  Governor, 
who  seemed  to  look  upon  baptism  as  a  sort  of 
political  ordinance  by  which  Africans  were 
to  be  converted  into  Englishmen,  was  con- 
tinually urging  our  missionary  to  admit  all 
comers  into  the  Church ;  whilst  one  of  the 
timid  native  catechists,  whom  Johnson  desig- 
nates as  "  that  fearful  Tamba,"  was  so  full 
of  apprehension  lest  any  hypocrite  should 
gain  an  entrance,  that  he  was  continually 
raising  objections  against  the  administration 


i86  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

of  the  rite.  Johnson,  however,  steered  a 
middle  course,  and  the  best  evidence  of  his 
wisdom  in  so  doing  may  be  found  in  the  fact 
that,  after  the  lapse  of  many  years,  and 
notwithstanding  many  hindrances  and  dis- 
couragements, the  church  and  congregation 
which  he  founded  at  Regent' s-Town  had 
maintained  its  early  character  for  piety 
and  stability. 

The  love  that  was  felt  towards  him  by  his 
people  might  be  judged  of  by  their  sorrow 
when  he  left  them  in  order  to  take  his  wife 
to  England.  They  accompanied  him  in 
hundreds  on  foot  to  Freetown,  a  distance  of 
some  five  miles  ;  and  when  they  could  go  no 
farther,  they  pointed  to  the  sea,  and  ex- 
claimed, •'  Massa,  suppose  no  water  live 
here — we  go  with  you  all  de  way — till  feet 
no  more."  And  he  reciprocated  their  affec- 
tion :  "  Had  I  ten  thousand  lives,"  he  says, 
"  I  would  willingly  offer  them  up  for  the  sake 
of  one  poor  negro  ;  "  and  when,  at  the  close 
of  1 8 19,  after  his  brief  six  months'  visit  to 
England,  he  was  re-embarking  for  Africa, 
he  observes,  "  The  climate,,  it  is  true,  is  still 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  187 

very  unhealthy;  and  some  of  my  dearest 
friends  and  brethren  in  the  Lord  have  fallen 
victims  to  it  since  my  departure.  But  by 
the  grace  of  God,  none  of  these  things  move 
me.  I  am  ready  to  go  to  Sierra  Leone,  and 
die  for  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus."  We 
may  add  that  a  devoted  sister,  whom  he  had 
won  to  Christ,  accompanied  him  and  Mrs. 
Johnson  on  their  return  to  Africa. 

The  joy  and  excitement  evoked  by  his 
return  is  best  told  in  the  language  of  a 
native  teacher :  "In  the  evening  Mr.  Wil- 
helm  keep  service.  .  .  .  When  he  done 
praying,  and  the  people  begin  to  go  out,  one 
man  come  into  the  church,  and  said,  '  All 
people  hear !  Mr.  Johnson  send  me  to  come 
and  tell  you — he  come  !  he  live  in  the  town  ! ' 
And  the  people  begin  to  make  a  noise. 
Some  could  not  get  out  through  the  door, 
but  jumped  out  through  the  window — they 
so  full  of  joy.  Some  went  to  Freetown  the 
same  night;  and  some  sing  all  the  night 
through." 

Once  more  we  find  him  in  active  work ; 
correcting  mistakes  which  had  arisen  in  his 


188  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

absence  through  the  indiscretion  of  his  re- 
presentatives ;  building  up  the  native  church 
in  steadiness  and  godliness ;  advancing  the 
natives  by  means  of  agriculture  and  fisheries 
and  public  works ;  raising  the  schools  to 
progress  and  efficiency,  and  above  all  making 
Christ  known  to  sinners  as  the  one  way  of 
life  and  salvation.  Nor  did  Johnson  confine 
his  regards  to  Regent' s-Town.  He  had 
early  conceived  plans  for  the  vast  interior  of 
Africa.  "Ah!"  he  writes,  **how  far  are 
our  thoughts  from  those  beyond  the  colony, 
just  as  if  there  were  no  other  heathen  in 
Africa!  .  .  .  For  my  part,  I  feel  just  like  a 
bird  in  a  cage.  .  .  .  My  mind  is  wandering 
into  the  interior  of  Africa.  Is  this  mere 
imagination  ?  .  .  .  Lord,  hast  Thou  designed 
me  to  proceed  from  hence  into  other  parts  of 
Africa?  Here  am  I,  send  me."  And  so 
we  find  him  again  and  again  making  mis- 
sionary explorations,  amidst  much  hardship 
and  peril,  now  all  around  the  peninsula  of 
Sierra  Leone,  and  again  in  company  with 
native  Christians  (one  of  them  being  a  Henry 
Martyn !)  to  the  Bananas,  where  we  find  him 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  189 

holding   palavers   with    the   natives    amidst 
their  greegrees  and  devil-houses. 

In  1822,  the  returning  and  increasing 
illness  of  his  wife  necessitated  the  pain  of 
parting  from  her,  and  of  sending  her  to 
England;  but  for  a  year  longer  he  laboured 
on  alone  amidst  mingled  joys  and  sorrows, 
successes  and  discouragements.  His  work 
was  nearly  done,  though  he  knew  it  not. 
Ophthalmia  had  broken  out  in  the  colony, 
and  he  suffered  severely  from  it.  His 
general  health  was  manifestly  affected  ;  his 
throat  showed  palpably  that  he  needed  rest, 
and  the  doctors  urged  him  to  take  it.  His 
wife  was  recovering,  and  he  longed  to  bring 
her  back  to  labour  with  him  again.  And  so 
he  sailed  for  England  in  April  1823.  In 
his  last  report,  written  a  few  weeks  before 
he  left  Regent' s-Town,  he  could  speak  of 
1,079  scholars,  of  whom  710  could  read;  he 
could  tell  of  his  450  communicants  ;  he  could 
rejoice  over  his  prosperous  Missionary  Asso- 
ciation, and  the  liberality  of  his  people's 
contributions  to  it ;  he  could  write  about  the 
general  progress  of  industry  and  civilization 


190  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

in  the  district ;  and,  above  all,  concerning 
the  increase  and  deepening  of  spiritual  life 
amongst  his  converts. 

He  hoped  to  come  back  to  his  work  again ; 
but  it  was  ordered  otherwise.  The  little  we 
know  of  his  last  days  is  from  the  simple 
narrative  of  a  native  woman,  who  was  bring- 
ing the  Diirings'  little  girl  to  England  in 
the  same  ship.  Sara  Bickersteth  was,  as 
Johnson  himself  described  her,  *'  the  first  of 
her  nation  who  had  tasted  that  the  Lord  is 
gracious,"  and  to  her  was  granted  the  sacred 
privilege  of  tending  her  beloved  pastor  in 
his  dying  hour.  It  appears  that  within  three 
days  of  his  embarkation  the  symptoms  of 
fever  appeared,  and  day  by  day  it  grew 
worse  and  worse.  On  Saturday,  3rd  May, 
he  said  to  his  weeping  attendant,  "  I  think  I 
cannot  live  ;  "  and  then  delirium  set  in;  but 
amidst  his  wanderings  he  spoke  of  his  faith- 
ful African  helpers,  and  called  for  his  brother 
missionary.  During,  '*to  tell  him  all  he  had 
to  say."  Then  reason  returned,  and  he 
spoke  lovingly  of  his  poor  wife,  and  of  his 
longing  wish  to  see  her  before  he  died ;  and 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  191 

then  he  tried  to  comfort  his  poor  weeping 
convert,  and  gave  her  full  directions  as  to 
what  she  was  to  do  when  she  got  to  England. 

It  was  a  touching  scene — the  dying  mis- 
sionary in  the  cabin  of  the  ship ;  the  black 
girl — his  own  child  in    the   faith,   watching 
by  his  berth ;  the  white  baby  in  her  arms, 
quite    unconscious   of  what    it    all    meant. 
Johnson  asked  her  to  read  the  twenty-third 
Psalm;   "And   when  I  had    read    it,"    pro- 
ceeds her  touching  narrative,    "  he  said  to 
me,  '  I  am  going  to  die ;  pray  for  me ; '  and 
I  prayed  the   Lord   Jesus  to  take   him   the 
right  way."     Then  he  sent  a  charge  to  the 
Society  to  send  a  good  minister  to  Regent' s- 
Town,  and  added,   *'  If  I  am  not  able  to  go 
back,  you  must  tell  David  Noah  to  do  his 
duty;  for  if  Noah  say,  'Because  massa  dead, 
I  can  do  nothing,'  he  must  pray,  and  God 
will    help  him,    and    so    we    shall    meet    in 
heaven."     The  last  words  that  Sara  Bicker- 
steth   could   catch   were   these — "  I    cannot 
live.     God  calls  me ;  I  shall  go  to  Him  this 
night." 

So  died  William  Augustine  Bernard  John- 


192  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

son,  on  the  4th  May,  1823,  at  the  early  age 
of  thirty-five.  Like  Judson,  he  lies  in  his 
ocean  grave  until  the  sea  shall  give  up  her 
dead.  Like  him,  he  needs  no  other  monu- 
ment than  the  blessed  work  which  he  was 
permitted  to  accomplish,  and  which  has 
since  grown  into  such  vast  proportions  that 
Sierra  Leone  has  ceased  to  be  a  missionary 
station,  and  has  become  a  fully  organized 
native  Church.  When  its  first  bishop,  Dr. 
Vidal,  reached  the  colony  in  1853,  three 
thousand  candidates  renewed  their  bap- 
tismal vows  at  his  confirmation.  The 
colony  is  now  marked  out  into  its  several 
parishes,  rejoices  in  its  native  pastorate, 
has  its  college  affiliated  to  an  English  uni- 
versity, and  has  sent  out,  under  the  first 
black  bishop  of  modern  times,  its  own 
missions  along  the  course  of  the  Niger,  and 
into  that  vast  interior  which  it  was  the  burn- 
ing desire  of  Johnson  to  see  evangelized. 

He  was  pre-eminently  a  missionary  of 
God's  making  and  of  God's  sending. 
As  we  trace  his  history,  from  the  days 
of  his  poverty  and  despair  at  Whitechapel, 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  193 

until  he  stood  forth  as  the  ambassador 
of  life  and  consolation  to  the  crushed  and 
bleeding  sons  of  Africa,  we  feel  that  he  had 
been  prepared  for  his  special  work  by  the 
power  of  grace,  and  the  discipline  of 
suffering.  And  as  we  contrast  the  state 
of  Sierra  Leone,  when  Johnson  first  knew 
it,  with  what  it  was  when  he  left  it, 
and  still  more  with  what  it  has  become  in 
our  own  day,  we  bless  the  mercy  and  the 
love  which  raised  up  men  like  him  to  con- 
summate the  efforts  which  had  been  already 
set  on  foot,  for  the  emancipation  of  the  slave. 

The  following  passage  from  the  pen  of 
his  biographer  may  form  a  suitable  close  to 
this  brief  sketch  of  his  memorable  life  '.-r- 

"  Isolate,  for  a  moment,  the  case  ,  of 
Regent's  Town,  and  let  it  be  regarded 
with  close  attention.  Here  is  a  single  man, 
but  just  escaped  from  a  London  workshop, 
employed  in  organizing,  civilizing,  and 
humanizing  a  large  body  of  rescued  slaves, 
of  a  different  race,  and  of  various  other 
tongues.  In  a  wonderfully  short  space  of 
time    he   so    gains    the   affections   of    these 

13 


194       HEROES  OF  THE  MISSION  FIELD. 

poor  savages  that  a  large  Christian  village 
arises,  almost  as  if  by  magic.     Streets  and 
gardens,  a  church   and  schools,   fields   and 
farm-yards,  are  occupied  and  cultivated  by 
hundreds  of  willing  hearts  and  hands.     At 
once^  without  any  delay,  a  congregation   of 
redeemed   and   saved   men    and   women    is 
seen.     The  church  is  filled  to  overflowing ; 
the  schools  are  crowded  with  eager  learners  ; 
hundreds    press    forward    to    beg    for    the 
benefit  of  the  Christian  Sacraments.     Mean- 
while,   industry   and    its    fruits   abound    on 
every  side ;   and  purity  of  morals,   such  as 
no  English  village   knows,  universally  pre- 
vails.    Such  are  the  results   of  even   three 
or  four  years'  labour;    may  we  not  reason- 
ably ask, — when  did  the  religion  of  Rome, 
or  of  the  East,  or  when  did  the  philanthropy 
.  of  rationalistic  philosophers,  produce  such  a 
wondrous  transformation  as  this?" 


VIII. 

JOHN  HUNT.     FIJI,    1838- 1848. 

Fiji  has  been  lately  annexed  to  the  British 
Crown,  and  our  leading  newspapers  contain 
frequent  advertisements  setting  forth,  in  at- 
tractive colours,  the  great  advantages  which 
may  be  enjoyed  by  emigrants  to  this  new 
and  thriving  colony.  Amongst  others  are 
named  the  peaceful  and  industrious  habits 
of  the  great  body  of  the  native  population, 
and  the  steady  progress  which  they  are 
making  in  the  arts  and  pursuits  of  civilized 
life. 

It  will  be  worth  our  while  to  contrast  all 
this  with  the  state  of  Fiji  fifty  years  ago. 
We  shall  then  be  in  a  better  position  to 
estimate  the  marvellous  and  salutary  in- 
fluence which  missionary  enterprise  has 
exercised  upon  it,  and  to  form  some  idea  of 
its  deep  obligations  to  the  man  who  was  the 


196  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

chief  instrument  in  bringing   that  influence 
to  bear. 

The  Fiji  group  consists  of  some  hundred 
islands,  lying  at  seven  days'  distance  from 
New  Zealand;  of  these,  the  two  principal, 
known  respectively  as  Viti  Levu  and  Vanua 
Levu,  contain  one  hundred  and  fifty  thou- 
sand inhabitants,  and  are  each  about  the 
size  of  Devonshire.  The  population  of 
all  the  other  islands,  when  taken  together, 
amounts  to  about  a  similar  number.  On 
these  islands,  Nature  seems  to  have  lavished 
her  richest  treasures  of  fruitfulness  and 
beauty.  "The  tree,  the  shrub,  the  flower, 
the  leaf,  are  all  fresh  and  strong,  and  brought 
to  perfection.  New  and  beautiful  varieties 
meet  the  eye  at  every  turn.  Fruits  and 
flowers  teem  by  the  roadside;  the  fruit  is 
good  for  food,  and  the  colours  of  the  flowers 
defy  description." 

But  when  men  turned  to  contemplate  the 
moral  aspect  of  the  scene,  it  was  hideous  in 
the  extreme.  To  speak  of  the  treachery  and 
ferocity  of  the  inhabitants  were  to  say  but 
little.     The  rage  of  civilized  man  was  only 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  197 

like  the  restless  tossings  of  a  baby,  when 
compared  with  the  passion  of  a  Fijian  savage. 
Let  those  who  have  witnessed  it  describe  it : 
"  The  forehead  is  filled  with  wrinkles  ;  the 
large  nostrils  distend  and  fairly  smoke ;  the 
staring  eyeballs  grow  red  and  gleam  with 
terrible  flashings ;  the  mouth  is  distended 
into  a  murderous  and  disdainful  grin  ;  the 
whole  body  quivers  with  excitement ;  every 
muscle  is  strained,  and  the  clenched  fist 
seems  eager  to  bathe  itself  in  the  blood  of 
him  who  has  roused  this  demon  of  fury." 

Infanticide  and  cannibalism  flourished  in 
even  darker  forms  than  in  other  savage  lands. 
Two-thirds  of  all  the  infants  were  killed  at 
birth,  and  every  village  had  an  executioner 
appointed  to  carry  out  this  deed  of  blood. 
Those  who  survived  were  early  trained  to 
the  darkest  deeds.  Dead  bodies  were 
handed  over  to  young  children  to  hack  and 
hew ;  living  captives  were  given  up  to  them 
to  mutilate  and  torture.  No  marvel  if  we 
read  that  sick  and  aged  parents  were  put 
out  of  the  way  by  the  clubs  of  their  own 
offspring,  and  that   hoary  hairs  and  failing 


198  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

strength  excited  neither  reverence  nor  com- 
passion. As  to  cannibalism,  it  had  become 
an  Epicurean  art.  The  mother  rubbed  a 
reeking-  portion  of  the  horrible  repast  on  the 
lips  of  her  own  infant,  to  generate  an  early 
taste  for  human  blood.  It  was  no  uncommon 
thing  for  a  man  to  select  his  best  wife  or 
his  most  tender  child  for  the  dreadful  festival, 
and  even  to  invite  his  friends  to  the  awful 
banquet.  Ra  Undreundu  kept  a  registry, 
by  means  of  stones,  of  the  bodies  which  he 
had  eaten,  and  they  numbered  900  !  The 
only  word  in  the  Fijian  language  for  the 
human  body  when  deprived  of  life  was 
*'  Vakalu,"  and  that  word  included  in  it 
the  idea  of  cannibalism  !  The  horrid 
practice  mingled  itself  with  all  the  acts  of 
life  and  worship.  The  building  of  a  canoe, 
the  burial  of  the  dead,  the  payment  of  a  tax, 
and  even  the  taking  down  of  a  mast,  were 
each  accompanied  by  this  revolting  cere- 
monial. A  chief  has  been  known  to  kill 
eight  or  ten  men  in  order  to  make  rollers 
for  the  launching  of  his  canoe,  and  the  ovens 
were  previously  ablaze  to  cook  them  for  his 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  ■       199 

banquet.  We  must  draw  the  veil  over  still 
darl-ler  scenes,  which  will  not  endure  recital 
in  Christian  ears. 

It  was  to  such  a  people  that  John  Hunt 
was  destined  to  be  a  missionary  and  (we  use 
the  word  with  reverence)  a  saviour.  Agents 
of  the  Wesleyan  Missionary  Society  had 
reached  their  shores  from  the  Friendly  Islands 
in  1834,  and  the  accounts  transmitted  by 
them  to  England  led  to  the  issue  of  a 
remarkable  appeal  entitled,  "Pity  poor 
Fiji!"  This  document  not  only  pointed 
out  the  miserable  condition  of  these  wretched 
heathens,  but  gave  hope,  from  the  success 
which  had  already  accompanied  the  first 
missionary  efforts  amongst  them,  that  the 
Gospel  would  yet  win  its  way  in  these  be- 
nighted islands. 

Hunt  was  at  this  time  a  student  in  the 
Wesleyan  Academy  at  Hoxton,  and  had  his 
heart  set  on  going  out  to  Africa  ;  but  a  man 
was  sorely  wanted  for  Fiji,  and  the  lot  fell 
most  unexpectedly  upon  him.  His  previous 
history  was  a  remarkable  one.  He  had  been 
brought  up  as  a  farm-boy,  but  he  was  neither 


200  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

handy  nor  expert  at  common  work,  and  was 
often  laughed  at  as  a  simpleton  by  his  fellow- 
labourers.  But  for  all  that,  the  Lincoln- 
shire plough-boy  meditated  great  things. 
He  had  often  heard  his  father,  who  had 
served  as  a  sailor  under  Nelson,  tell  stirring 
stories  of  bravery  and  adventure,  and  in  his 
secret  soul  he  resolved  to  be  a  hero.  His 
heroism,  however,  was  to  be  exhibited  on 
a  very  different  field  from  any  which  he  had 
been  contemplating.  His  earliest  religious 
impressions  appear  to  have  been  connected 
with  a  deep  anxiety  felt  by  him  for  the  salva- 
tion of  his  own  mother,  and  these  were  soon 
deepened  by  recovery  from  a  brain-fever,  and 
by  the  instructions  of  Methodist  preachers 
in  the  district  where  he  lived. 
,  The  Genius  of  Poetry  found  Burns  at  the 
'plough,  and  the  Genius  of  Missionary  Enter- 
prise found  Hunt  at  a  like  employment.  At 
nineteen  years  of  age  he  was  fortunate  enough 
to  be  hired  by  a  farmer  who  was  a  reading 
man.  Hitherto  Hunt  had  seen  no  books 
except  the  Bible  and  the  Pilgrim's  Progress; 
but  now  he  began  to  read  such  works  as 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  201 

Paley's  Evidences,  and  Dwight's  Theology, 
and  Home's  Introduction,  and  he  gave  up 
all  his  spare  time  to  mental  improvement. 
Mason  on  Self-knowledge  was  the  book, 
however,  that  took  most  thorough  hold  of 
him,  and  did  most  for  the  formation  of  his 
character.  Very  few  would  have  suspected 
that  under  his  blue  smock  there  throbbed 
a  heart  that  was  beginning  to  feel  the  con- 
sciousness of  a  power,  the  existence  of  which 
it  scarcely  dared  to  credit.  But  the  time  to 
test  it  was  at  hand.  In  the  unavoidable 
absence  of  a  local  preacher,  he  was  asked  to 
address  a  little  congregation  in  the  humble 
chapel.  With  trembling  and  reluctance  he 
consented,  but  he  did  his  part  so  ably  and 
so  well  that  he  was  asked  to  repeat  the 
effort  elsewhere.  A  Methodist  preacher, 
who  happened  to  hear  him,  had  the  sagacity 
to  perceive  from  his  rough  but  vigorous 
speech,  and  in  his  apt  and  ready  power  of 
illustration,  that  John  Hunt  was  no  common 
man. 

He  sounded  him  on  the  subject  of  his  be- 
^  coming  a  preacher,  and  thehonestploughman. 


202  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

while  shrinking,  under  the  deep  sense  of  his 
own  unworthiness,  from  such  an  office,  con- 
fessed an  "  ambition  to  go  to  the  Cape,  as  a 
servant  to  Laidman  Hodgson,"  a  missionary 
whom  he  had  often  heard  preach  on  the 
circuit,  and  whom  he  thought  he  would  be 
able  "  to  assist  a  little,  not  only  in  gardening, 
but  in  Sunday-school  teaching,  and  other 
humble  ministrations."  The  letter  of  the 
preacher,  recommending  him  to  the  Mis- 
sionary Committee,  amused  the  secretaries, 
and  seemed  to  them  a  piece  of  good-natured 
extravagance  ;  but  when  they  came  to  have 
an  interview  with  the  young  man,  they  found 
that  he  was  far  beyond  the  average  standard, 
and  he  was  at  once  admitted  to  the  Institution 
at  Hoxton.  His  progress  in  study  soon 
justified  their  choice,  and  at  the  end  of  his 
second  year  he  was  sent  to  the  Oxford  circuit, 
where  his  earnest,  thoughtful,  and  manly 
speech  commanded  attention  and  respect. 
There  was  a  flame  of  genius  in  his  eye  when 
he  warmed  to  his  subject,  and  a  token  of 
might  in  the  stretching  out  of  his  long  and 
sinewy  arm,  as  in  bold  but  loving  accents  he 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  203 

addressed  his  fellow-men.    Africa  was  upper- 
most in  his  thoughts,  and  his  daily  prayer 
was  for  "  fitness  for  the  work  of  God  in  that 
dark  continent."     But   he  was  destined  for 
another  field,  and  his  nomination  to  it  came 
to  him  both  as  a  surprise  and  a  disappoint- 
ment.    He  was  summoned  to   the  Mission 
House  in  1838,  and  asked  whether  he  would 
go  to  Fiji.     The  question  startled  him,  and 
he  asked  time  to  consider  it.     Returning  to 
Hoxton,  he  burst  into  the  room  of  a  fellow- 
student,  and  in  quick,  excited  tones  told  him 
of  the   unexpected   proposal.      His    friend, 
thinking  only  of  the  hardships  and  peril  of 
such  a  mission,   began  to  sympathize  with 
him.      But   he   had  not  read  the  secret  of 
Hunt's  deep  emotion.     "  Oh,  that's  not  it," 
exclaimed  the  impassioned  youth;   "I'll  tell 
you  what  it  is  :  that  poor  girl  in  Lincolnshire 
will  never  go  with  me  to  Fiji ;  her  mother 
will  never  consent  to  it."     The  truth  was, 
that  that  strong  noble  heart  of  his  had  been 
linked  in  love,  for  the  last  six  years,  to  Hannah 
Summers,  and  he,  whom  neither  cannibalism 
nor  paganism  could  affright,  felt  dismayed  at 


204  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

the  possibility  of  being-  parted  from  her  for 
ever.  At  his  friend's  suggestion  he  sat  down 
instantly  and  wrote  her  a  loving  and  straight- 
forward letter,  every  line  of  which  made  it 
plain  that,  if  he  had  doubts  about  others,  he 
had  none  about  her.  Still  his  heart  was 
distressed,  and  he  moved  in  and  out  amongst 
his  fellow-students  with  an  anxious  and 
dejected  air.  But  as  quickly  as  posts  could 
travel  in  those  days,  came  back  the  reply  of 
that  noble  girl,  and  Hunt  burst  once  more 
into  his  friend's  chamber,  and  with  beaming- 
face  and  cheery  voice  exclaimed,  "  It's  all 
right !     She'll  go  with  me  anywhere  !  " 

About  one  o'clock  on  the  14th  February, 
1838,  the  formal  decision  of  the  Missionary 
Committee  was  given;  at  half-past  two  Hunt 
was  on  the  coach,  and  next  morning  he  was 
at  home.  On  the  6th  of  March  he  was 
married,  and  on  the  29th  of  April  he  and  his 
devoted  wife  sailed  for  Sydney.  There  he 
met  John  Williams,  the  future  martyr  of 
Erromanga,  and  it  is  remarkable  that  they 
left  Sydney  upon  the  same  day  for  their 
respective  mission  fields. 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  205 

Upon  landing  at  Fiji  on  the  22nd  of 
December,  the  young  missionary  and  his  wife 
found  that  they  must  go  to  Rewa,  a  solitary 
and  distant  station  on  Viti  Levu,  and  take  up 
their  lonely  residence  amongst  a  savage 
people,  of  whose  language  they  were  in  utter 
ignorance.  But  undismayed  they  went  to 
their  arduous  post,  and  instantly  Hunt  began 
his  study  of  the  language.  They  soon  found 
that,  so  far  as  the  butcheries  and  cruelties  of 
the  people  were  concerned,  "  the  half  had 
not  been  told  them."  The  king,  however, 
was  favourable,  and  one  or  two  of  the  chiefs 
were  ready  to  "  lotu^''  that  is,  to  profess  the 
new  religion  ;  but  their  motives  were  of  a 
very  mixed  nature,  as  may  be  gathered  from 
the  reply  of  one  of  them  when  asked  whether 
he  believed  that  Christianity  was  true ; 
*'  True  ?  Everything  that  comes  from  white 
man's  country  is  true  ;  muskets  and  gun- 
powder are  true;  your  religion  must  be  true! " 
Still,  their  adherence  prepared  the  way  for 
the  Gospel,  and  the  people  were  more  willing 
to  listen  to  it  when  the  chiefs  had  once  set 
the  example.     It  was  not  long  before  the 


2o6  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

power  of  truth  began  to  tell,  and  real  con- 
versions followed ;  but  as  soon  as  they  took 
place  persecution  began.  The  priests  and 
heathen  chiefs  plundered  every  one  who  had 
been  guilty  of  the  lotu.  Strange  to  say,  it 
was  the  influence  of  the  king,  himself  a 
heathen,  that  stayed  the  rising  hostility. 
His  own  brother,  who  had  been  a  leader  in 
the  pillage  of  the  Christians,  was  severely 
reproved  by  him;  and  when,  notwithstanding 
this,  he  threatened  the  missionaries  in  the 
king's  presence,  the  king  significantly  said, 
*'  If  you  injure  the  missionaries,  I  will  begin 
to  eat  chiefs."  Every  one  knew  the  meaning 
of  that  threat ;  the  offender  begged  forgive- 
ness, and  the  persecution  ceased. 

At  the  end  of  seven  months  it  was  thought 
desirable  that  Hunt  should  leave  Rewa,  and 
settle  at  Somosomo,  a  town  of  great  impor- 
tance on  another  island.  Tuithakau,  the 
king,  and  his  two  sons,  were  persons  of  great 
influence,  and  having  heard  of  the  missions  at 
Lakemba,  they  had  put  in  a  plea  for  teachers 
for  themselves.  The  Somosomo  people  were 
more  than  ordinarily  savage,  and  were  re- 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  207 

garded  with  as  much  horror  by  the  other 
Fijians  as  the  Fijians  themselves  were 
regarded  by  the  English.  No  missionary 
had  ever  visited  Somosomo  ;  no  native  of 
the  place  had  ever  lotiied.  Only  one  white 
man  had  ventured  there,  and  he  had  been 
barbarously  murdered  a  short  time  before ; 
but  thither  the  heroic  missionary  and  his 
wife  repaired,  together  with  another  devoted 
couple,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lythe,  and  here  the 
next  three  years  of  their  consecrated  lives 
were  spent. 

Notwithstanding  the  king's  invitation,  their 
reception  was  cold  and  cheerless,  and  the 
sights  and  scenes  amidst  which  they  had  to 
live  were  appalling  in  the  extreme.  Within 
a  week  news  came  that  the  king's  youngest 
son  was  lost  at  sea.  Forthwith  an  order  was 
issued  that  sixteen  women,  some  of  them  of 
high  rank,  should  be  strangled,  and  despite 
of  Hunt's  entreaties  they  were  put  to  death, 
and  then  burned  in  front  of  the  mission-house, 
amidst  the  blast  of  conchs  and  the  yells  of 
incarnate  demons.  Some  months  later, 
eleven  men  were  dragged  with  ropes  to  the 


2o8  MODERN  HEROES   OF 

ovens,  and  roasted  for  a  banquet;  and  when 
the  missionary's  wife  closed  the  window- 
blinds  against  the  sight  and  stench  of  the 
horrid  festival,  the  infuriated  natives  threat- 
ened to  burn  down  the  house  unless  they 
were  re-opened ! 

Sickness  and  domestic  bereavements  came 
and  added  to  their  sorrows,  and  yet  we  read 
in  Hunt's  journal  at  this  period  that  *'  trials 
and  privations  are  words  seldom  used  by  us, 
and  are  things  that  are  thought  much  more 
of  by  our  dear  friends  at  home  than  by  our- 
selves." Take  one  scene  from  this  period 
of  his  life.  It  is  a  Sunday  evening,  and  their 
place  of  worship  is  a  gloomy  room,  under  a 
low  thatched  roof,  with  a  small  chamber  at 
one  end,  partitioned  off  with  mats.  In  this 
room  stands  the  preacher,  with  a  visible  con- 
gregation of  two  men,  and  an  invisible 
audience  of  two  women.  The  two  men  are 
his  brother  missionary  and  a  young  English- 
man, whose  life  he  has  lately  saved  from  the 
club  of  a  murderous  chief.  The  two  unseen 
listeners  are  the  missionaries'  wives,  each 
with   a  new-born  baby,  one  of  them  being 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  209 

the  preacher's  firstborn  child,  and  it  is  dying. 
But  the  text  is  from  the  first  chapter  of  St. 
James  :  "  My  brethren,  count  it  all  joy  when 
ye  fall  into  divers  temptations;  knowing-  this, 
that  the  trial  of  your  faith  worketh  patience." 

Three  days  after  this  the  child  was  dead ; 
and  as  the  mother  bent  over  her  lifeless  babe, 
she  had  to  encounter,  when  she  looked  up, 
dark  savage  faces  mocking  at  her  grief. 
Oh !  could  she  only  lay  her  little  one  in  a 
quiet  grave  in  some  Christian  land,  the  trial 
would  not  be  so  severe ;  but  yet  that  little 
grave  '*  consecrated  Fiji  as  the  missionaries' 
burial-ground,  and  the  soil  has  become  very 
wealthy  since." 

The  king  of  Somosomo,  though  he  did  not 
formally  withdraw  his  protection  from  Hunt 
and  his  companions,  forbad  his  people 
becoming  Christians  under  pain  of  death. 
The  missionaries  could  have  withdrawn, 
had  they  so  desired;  and  when  Captain 
Wilkes,  of  the  American  Navy,  visited  the 
island  in  1840,  he  was  so  pained  with  the 
sight  of  all  their  sufferings,  that  he  offered  to 
convey  them  to  any  other  island ;  but  they 

14 


2IO  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

declined  the  offer,  and  persevered  in  their 
work.  At  length  it  was  resolved  that  Mr. 
Hunt  should  leave,  in  order  to  occupy 
another  station,  v/hich  had  been  deprived  of 
its  missionary's  services.  The  results  of  his 
three  years'  work  in  Somosomo  had  been 
only  indirect,  but  they  were  far  from  being 
unimportant.  Mr.  Hunt,  when  leaving,  could 
appeal  to  the  following  instances : — a  town 
had  been  taken  in  war  without  a  man  being 
killed;  a  large  canoe  has  been  launched,  and 
has  made  her  first  voyage  without  a  single 
instance  of  cannibalism  ;  and  the  Somosomo 
people  have  feasted  their  superiors,  the 
Mbau  people,  for  several  weeks  without  a 
single  dead  body.  In  the  first  instance  we 
were  one  catise,  instrumentally,  of  the  people 
being  spared  ;  in  the  second,  perhaps  the  07iiy 
cause :  and  in  the  third,  perhaps  the  only  cause 
too;  bjct  we  had  not  directly  to  inter/ei^e;  for  the 
influence  which  truth  had  on  the  minds  of 
the  people  made  our  interference  unnecessary. 
Viwa,  where  the  last  six  years  of  Hunt's 
life  were  spent,  and  where  his  greatest 
triumphs  were  won,  was  an  important  politi- 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  211 

cal  centre,  within  a  few  miles  of  Mbau,  the 
highest  seat  of  Fiji  power ;  the  local  chief 
was  favourable,  and  some  converts  had  been 
already  made;  but  King  Thakombau,  "the 
butcher  of  his  people,"  was  fierce  in  his 
opposition,  and  the  bloody  wars  in  which 
he  was  constantly  engaged  made  the  mis- 
sionary's position  exceedingly  perilous.  Still 
with  undaunted  bravery  and  heroic  patience 
he  went  on.  Now  he  is  at  work  upon  his 
translation,  and  to  him  belongs  the  honour 
of  giving  the  New  Testament  to  Fiji  in  its 
native  tongue;  now  he  is  travelling  his  eleven 
hundred  miles  in  a  single  twelvemonth, 
and  making  known  everywhere  the  story  of 
peace;  now  he  is  organizing  schools,  and 
training  the  most  promising  of  his  converts 
as  native  teachers. 

Amidst  troubles  and  perils,  amidst  wars 
and  rumours .  of  wars,  we  find  Hunt  (to  use 
his  own  favourite  expression)  "  turning  care 
Into  prayer,"  and  steadily  pursuing  the  one 
purpose  of  his  life.  "  I  must  be  on  the  full 
stretch,"  was  his  constant  apology  when 
friends  thought  he  worked  too  hard.     What 


212  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

that  apology  implied  will  be  best  understood 
by  a  glance  at  his  labours.  There  was  first 
of  all  the  difficult  task  of  conquering  the 
language  ;  then  the  ceaseless  endeavour  to 
restrain  the  cruel  dispositions  of  the  chiefs ; 
then  the  incessant  effort  to  instil  some  ideas 
of  God  and  goodness  into  dark  and  savage 
minds.  One  day  he  is  writing  upon  his 
favourite  subject  of  sanctification,  and  pre- 
paring his  manuscript  for  the  press;  another 
day  he  is  reading  Swift  or  Byron,  and 
cultivating  his  mental  powers  by  the  study 
of  English  literature  and  the  Greek  Testa- 
ment; always  he  is  taking  the  bright  view 
of  things ;  and  if  there  be  a  single  spot  of 
sunshine  in  the  landscape,  he  is  sure  to  find 
it  out.  And  he  tries  to  spread  sunshine,  as 
well  as  to  enjoy  it;  acting  as  nurse  and 
doctor  to  the  sick  and  dying,  carrying  little 
comforts  from  the  mission  house  to  Fijian 
hovels,  and  instructing  the  wretched  natives 
in  a  thousand  little  arts  of  decency  and  civi- 
lization, whilst  he  is  ever  trying  to  lead 
them  to  still  higher  things. 

A  great  movement  at  length  took  place 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  213 

among-st  the  people.  The  priests  had  pre- 
dicted a  terrible  droug-ht  in  consequence  of 
the  lohi^  but  it  did  not  come.  The  faith  of 
the  people  in  paganism  began  to  be  shaken. 
The  queen  of  Viwa  became  a  Christian. 
Thakombau's  personal  friend  and  generalis- 
simo, the  redoubtable  Verani,  who  has  been 
styled  "  the  Napoleon  of  Fiji,"  followed  her 
example,  and  was  baptized  by  the  name  of 
Elijah.  The  great  canoe,  which  he  used  to 
launch  for  war  and  bloodshed,  was  now  con- 
stantly employed  in  carrying  the  messenger 
of  mercy  to  the  distant  islands.  Verani 
himself  became  a  preacher.  Thakombau 
endeavoured  to  dissuade  him.,  and  the  people 
expected  that  he  would  take  summary 
vengeance  on  the  apostate ;  but  to  their 
astonishment  he  exclaimed,  "  Did  I  not 
tell  you  that  we  could  not  turn  Verani  ? 
He  is  a  man  of  one  heart :  when  he  was 
with  us,  he  was  fully  one  with  us ;  now  that 
he  is  a  Christian,  he  is  decided,  and  not  to 
be  moved."  This  kingliness  of  consistency 
began  to  tell  on  others,  and  ere  long  the 
converts  were  reckoned  by  thousands. 


214  MODERN  HEROES   OF 

Hunt  was  a  **Wesleyan  of  the  Wesleyans;  " 
and  the  movement,  as  it  sped,  bore  marks  of 
the  system  out  of  which  it  grew  ;  but  it  was 
no  marvel  that  fierce  cannibals,  by  whatever 
agency  they   were   brought    to    repentance, 
should  exhibit  those  agonies  of  sorrow,  and 
those  excitements  of  conviction,  which  were 
manifested  amongst  the  Fijians.     For  days 
and  nights  together  they  gave  way  to  the 
wildest  grief,  they  fainted  away  from  sheer 
exhaustion,  then  prayed  themselves  into  an 
agony  again,  and  then  passed  into  a  state  of 
utter  insensibility.     There  was,   however,  a 
real  and  abiding  work  beneath  all  this,  and 
Hunt  knew  how  to  distinguish   it.     *'  There 
are  here,"   he  says,  "  two  conversions,  one 
from  heathenism  to  Christianity  as  a  system, 
and  a  second  from  sin  to  God.     Both  these 
are  of  the  greatest  importance :  without  the 
first  there  is  no  hope  of  the   second.     We 
seldom  witness  anything  like  penitence  in  a 
heathen.     Generally  it  is  not  until  they  have 
professed   Christianity   for   some  time   that 
they  sincerely  seek  the  Lord." 

The  claims  upon  his  thought  and  labour 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  215 

during  this  exciting  period,  and  still  more 
during  the  reaction  which  followed,  and  then 
the  responsibility  and  care  which  came  upon 
him  with  all  the  exigencies  and  demands  of 
a  settled  Christian  population,  began  to  tell 
upon  his  stalwart  frame.  The  pale  face,  and 
feverish  pulse,  and  failing  appetite  told  that 
something  severe  had  been  going  on  behind 
the  outer  scene.  There  was  something 
solemn — almost  a  mystery  of  heavenliness — 
about  that  tall,  thin,  stooping  figure,  as  with 
earnest  eyes  and  feeble  steps  he  still  en- 
deavoured to  carry  on  his  work.  What  a 
contrast  to  the  man  of  iron  strength  who 
had  come  up  to  London  from  the  fields  of 
Lincolnshire  some  twelve  years  before !  It 
was  soon  evident  that  he  was  dying,  and  the 
native  Christians  met  and  entreated  God  to 
spare  him  to  them.  Elijah  Verani's  prayer 
was  touching:  "  O  Lord,  we  know  that  we 
are  very  evil !  but  spare  Thy  servant :  if 
one  must  die,  take  me  !  take  ten  of  us  !  But 
spare  Thy  servant  to  preach  Christ  to  the 
people  !  " 

It  was  not  to  be.     The  last  conflict  was  at 


2l6  MODERN  HEROES   OF 

hand.  Hunt  died  with  his  armour  on,  and 
entered  heaven  with  the  note  of  triumph  on 
his  lips—"  Hallelujah."  His  coffin  needed 
no  earthly  heraldry  to  emblazon  it.  It  bore 
the  simple  inscription  : — 

JOHN    HUNT 

Slept  in  Jesus  October  4TH,  1848. 
Aged  36  Years. 

Thakombau  came  to  look  upon  the  dead 
face  of  the  teacher  before  whom  he  had 
often  quailed,  and  to  do  honour  to  the  man 
whom  in  his  inmost  heart  he  could  not  but 
revere.  Hunt  had  left  a  message  of  love 
and  prayer  for  the  royal  savage,  who  as  he 
listened  to  it  was  deeply  moved.  The  mis- 
sionary did  not  live  to  see  his  prayer  answered, 
but  others  did  ;  and  when,  some  years  later, 
Thakombau  was  publicly  baptized,  the  con- 
gregation which  witnessed  his  Christian 
profession  was  a  strange  one  ; — husbands 
whose  wives  he  had  dishonoured ;  widows 
whose  husbands  he  had  slain  ;  sisters  whose 
brothers  he  had  strangled  ;  relatives  whose 
friends  he  had  eaten  ;  children  who  formerly 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  217 

had  vowed  to  avenge  in  his  blood  the  wrongs 
inflicted  on  their  parents. 

Hunt's  work  was  an  abiding  one.  The 
late  Dr.  Harvey,  Professor  of  Botany  in  the 
University  of  Dublin,  visited  Fiji  in  1850, 
two  years  after  Hunt's  death,  and  has  left 
the  following  testimony :  "I  speak  from 
personal  observation,  having  visited  the 
Wesleyan  Missions  at  the  Friendly  and  Fiji 
Islands.  I  know  something,  therefore,  of 
the  work  that  is  actually  going  forward  in 
the  Pacific;  and  as  I  am  in  no  way  connected 
with  this  mission,  and,  from  my  predilections 
as  a  Churchman,  not  over-disposed  to  sympa- 
thize with  a  body  of  Dissenters,  you  may,  I 
hope,  regard  me  as  an  unprejudiced  witness, 
if  I  speak  favourably  of  what  I  have  seen. 
...  It  has  pleased  God  remarkably  to  bless 
the  labours  of  His  servants,  who  had  so  long 
watered  the  ground,  not  only  with  their  tears, 
but  with  their  blood.  Some  await  in  Fijian 
graves  a  glorious  resurrection ;  but  others 
who  have  for  long  time  *  gone  forth  weeping, 
bearing  precious  seed,'  are  now  returning 
joyful,  '  bringing  their  sheaves  with  them.' 


2i8        HEROES  OF  THE  MISSION  FIELD. 

Heathenism  is  everywhere  on  the  decline. 
Neither  heathen  temple  nor  heathen  priest 
any  longer  remains  at  Bau.  In  that  late 
abode  of  butchery  and  lust,  the  Christian 
congregation  meeting  every  Lord's-day 
numbers  over  a  thousand.  Some  70,000 
throughout  the  various  islands  are  at  least 
nominally  Christian,  and  thousands  more 
are  willing  to  come  under  mission  teaching, 
if  only  missionaries  and  native  teachers  can 
be  sent  to  them.  And  if  nothing  interfere 
to  blight  present  prospects,  please  God,  a 
few  more  years  will  witness  the  demoniacs 
of  Fiji  no  longer  '  naked,  and  cutting  them- 
selves with  stones,'  but  redeemed  to  Christ, 
*  sitting,  clothed,  and  in  their  right  minds.'  " 
These  hopeful  anticipations  have  been  to 
a  great  extent  realized.  Fiji  is  not  only  a 
gem  in  the  British  crown,  but  a  precious 
jewel  in  the  missionary  diadem ;  and  to 
John  Hunt,  above  all  other  men,  belongs 
the  honour  of  having  placed  it  there! 


IX. 

CAPTAIN  ALLEN  GARDINER,   R.N. 
ZULULAND  AND    SOUTH  AMERICA,   1835—1851. 

The  tragical  fate  which  befell  this  heroic 
man,  in  his  noble  endeavour  to  introduce 
Christianity  into  Terra  del  Fuego,  has  made 
his  name  to  be  a  household  word,  and  has 
won  for  him  a  distinguished  place  in  the 
history  of  missionary  adventure.  But  it  is 
not  generally  known  that  Allen  Gardiner  had 
been  a  missionary  pioneer  during  sixteen 
years  of  his  previous  life,  and  had  already 
endured  hardships  and  privations  of  no 
ordinary  kind  in  his  efforts  to  prepare  the 
way  for  the  Gospel,  both  in  South  Africa  and 
in  South  America.  He  was  a  layman,  and, 
though  urged  to  enter  into  holy  orders,  pre- 
ferred to  continue  one  to  the  end,  because  he 
believed  that  in  that  capacity  he  could  best 
promote  God's  glory,  and  clear  the  track  for 


220  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

the  ordained  messengers  of  peace.  His 
plans  were  not  always  the  wisest  or  the  best 
constructed,  but  his  spirit  and  resolution  were 
of  the  loftiest  type,  and  in  all  our  missionary 
annals  there  is  no  one  who  can  more  justly 
claim  as  his  own  the  apostolic  motto,  '*  In 
journeyings  often." 

Born  in  1794,  the  son  of  a  Berkshire  squire, 
he  showed  an  early  predilection  for  a  sailor's 
life.  While  he  was  still  a  child  he  exercised 
his  ingenuity  in  sketching  a  plan  for  cutting 
the  French  fleet  out  of  Rochelle  harbour.  A 
love  of  adventure  was  early  manifested  by 
his  writing  out  a  vocabulary  of  African  words 
from  *'  Mungo  Park's  Travels,"  and  by  his 
sleeping  all  night  upon  the  floor,  in  the  hope, 
as  he  said,  that  he  would  thereby  inure  him- 
self to  hardship,  as  he  "intended  to  travel  all 
over  the  world." 

At  sixteen  he  entered  the  navy,  and  having 
distinguished  himself  as  a  midshipman  in 
an  engagement  between  the  Phoebe  and  the 
Essex,  he  was  sent  home  as  lieutenant  in 
charge  of  the  prize.  Four  years  after  this 
(1820)  we  find  him  at  Penang,  in  the  Daunt- 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  221 

less.,  and  it  was  here  that  the  early  but 
neglected  instructions  of  a  pious  and  departed 
mother  began  to  tell.  His  father  had  drawn 
up  a  touching  record  of  her  last  days,  but 
had  not  shown  it  to  his  son.  It  happened, 
however,  that  a  Christian  lady,  who  was 
present  at  her  death,  lent  the  narrative  to 
the  young  sailor  before  he  sailed  from  Ports- 
mouth, and  allowed  him  to  copy  it.  Gardiner 
had  wandered  far  from  her  early  teaching ; 
but  this  memoir  recalled  him.  He  bought  a 
Bible,  but  was  so  much  ashamed  to  be  seen 
doing  so,  that  he  watched  the  bookseller's 
shop  until  he  saw  there  were  no  customers 
inside,  and  then  he  ventured  in  and  made  the 
purchase.  That  Bible  and  that  narrative 
accompanied  him  to  Penang.  While  there 
a  wise  and  kindly  letter  received  from  his 
mother's  friend  set  him  upon  examining  the 
one  and  reflecting  upon  the  other,  and  the 
result  was  that  the  dashing  young  naval 
officer  gave  his  heart  to  God. 

His  duties  led  him  at  this  time  to  the  coasts 
of  South  America,  and  he  began  to  take  that 
deep  interest  in  the  aborigines  which  never 


222  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

afterwards  forsook  him,  and  in  the  exercise 
of  which  he  laid  down  his  life.  He  had 
witnessed  the  blessed  results  of  missionary 
effort  in  Tahiti,  and  when  he  came  back  to 
England  on  sick  leave,  he  pleaded  the  cause 
of  the  poor  Indians  with  the  London 
Missionary  Society,  and  placed  his  services 
at  their  disposal.  The  Society  did  not  see 
its  way  to  undertake  the  mission,  and  Allen 
Gardiner  resumed  his  naval  duties,  and 
became  a  married  man.  His  wife  was 
delicate,  and  her  increasing  illness  led  them 
eventually  to  reside  in  the  Isle  of  Wight. 
At  length  she  was  taken  from  him,  and 
beside  her  bier  he  made  a  solemn  vow  to 
dedicate  himself  more  especially  to  the 
service  of  God.  His  tastes  and  training 
pointed  out  to  him  the  path  of  a  missionary 
explorer,  and  he  determined  to  become  a 
pioneer  in  some  of  those  dark  regions  of  the 
earth  which  had  not  yet  been  visited  by  the 
light  of  the  Gospel. 

His  steps  were  directed  in  the  first  instance 
to  Southern  Africa.  Our  colonists  had  been 
pushing    their    way   amongst    the    warlike 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  223 

Kaffirs,  and  frequent  conflicts  had  taken 
place  between  them,  but  no  one  as  yet  had 
dreamt  of  subduing  them  to  Christ.  The 
honour  of  starting  the  first  missionary  settle- 
ment in  Zululand  belongs  to  Captain 
Gardiner.  This  is  an  interesting  fact^  when 
taken  in  connection  with  all  that  has  since 
rendered  that  country  so  familiar  to  English- 
men, both  in  a  political  and  a  religious  point 
of  view.  He  induced  a  Pole  named  Berken 
to  accompany  him,  and  the  history  of  their 
perils  and  adventures  reads  like  a  strange 
romance.  Now  with  their  own  hands  they 
are  digging  their  horses  out  of  the  morasses 
into  which  they  have  sunk ;  now  they  are 
swimming  the  swollen  rivers,  at  the  peril  of 
their  lives,  and  lying  down  upon  the  banks, 
wet  and  hungry,  to  be  awakened  from  their 
uncomfortable  repose  by  the  snorting  of 
hippopotami,  as  the  huge  animals  come 
trampling  through  the  crushed  and  quiver- 
ing reeds.  At  length  Gardiner  reached  the 
rude  capital  of  Dingairn,  an  able  but  fero- 
cious chief,  who  was  the  terror  of  all  white 
settlers,  and  the  tyrant  of  his  own  people. 


224  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

Over  this  man  he  contrived  to  gain  a  mar- 
vellous influence,  even  inducing  him,  though 
he  steadily  refused  to  become  a  Christian, 
to  grant  ground  for  a  missionary  settle- 
ment. 

Gardiner  now  took  up  his  residence  at 
Port  Natal,  his  only  possessions  being  "his 
clothes,  his  saddle,  a  spoon,  and  a  New 
Testament."  The  colony,  if  such  it  could 
be  called,  consisted  of  a  few  miserable 
hovels,  in  which  some  thirty  rough  English- 
men resided,  surrounded  by  a  multitude  of 
fugitive  Zulus,  who  acted  as  their  servants. 
Our  pioneer  made  himself  at  home  amongst 
this  motley  company,  and  did  what  he  could 
to  instruct  them.  It  was  no  new  thing  to 
him,  as  a  naval  officer,  to  read  the  Church 
of  England  service  on  Sunday  mornings  ;  so 
he  gathered  the  white  men  under  the  shadow 
of  a  stately  tree,  and  read  to  them  words 
which  they  had  almost  forgotten,  but  which 
came  back  to  them  like  the  tones  of  their 
mother's  voice.  In  the  afternoon  he  col- 
lected the  Kaffirs,  and,  with  the  help  of  an 
interpreter,  explained  to  them  the  simplest 


THE  MISSION  FIEID.  225 

facts  of  Bible  history.  Nor  were  his 
week-days  unemployed.  He  opened  a  school 
for  the  wretched  native  children,  dressed 
them  in  the  first  clothing  they  had  ever 
known,  and  became  himself  their  patient 
schoolmaster.  Nor  was  this  all.  He  aided 
the  colonists  with  his  advice  and  succour  in 
founding  their  first  regular  town,  and  on  the 
25th  June,  1835,  it  sprang  into  existence 
as  "  Durban." 

Troubles  arose  between  the  colonists  and 
Dingairn.  The  Zulus  who  worked  for  the 
English  had  fled  from  his  tyranny,  and  he 
threatened  to  come  down  upon  the  settle- 
ment with  fire  and  foray.  Gardiner  appeared 
in  the  new  character  of  an  ambassador,  and 
presented  himself  at  the  kraal  of  the  royal 
savage  in  his  full  uniform.  This  made  a 
deep  impression  ;  but  the  known  and  ap- 
proved character  of  the  ambassador  made  a 
deeper  one  ;  and  the  result  of  this  strange 
interview  was  that  Dingairn  constituted  our 
hero  his  plenipotentiary,  and  made  him 
governor  of  *'  all  the  country  of  the  white 
people's    fold,"  that  is,   in  other  words,  of 

15 


226  MODERN  HEROES   OF 

the  territory  which  we  now  call  Natal.  This 
induced  Gardiner  to  revisit  England  in  order 
to  consult  the  Government  on  the  political 
situation,  and  the  Church  Missionary  Society 
concerning  the  religious  one.  He  soon 
returned  with  a  missionary  staff,  and  was 
warmly  received  by  Dingairn,  who  however 
was  apprised  that  the  missionaries  could  not 
hold  secular  appointments,  and  that  these 
should  be  given  to  officers  of  the  British 
Crown. 

For  a  time  all  went  on  prosperously ;  but 
complications,  for  which  the  missionaries 
were  in  no  way  responsible,  soon  arose 
between  the  whites  and  the  Zulus.  Covet- 
ousness  and  greed  on  the  one  side  induced 
revenge  and  treachery  on  the  other.  War 
and  rapine  followed  ;  the  missionary  settle- 
ment had  to  be  abandoned ;  and  Gardiner, 
after  more  than  three  years  of  earnest  labour 
in  Natal,  left  Africa  with  a  heavy  heart,  and 
sought  a  new  field  for  his  exertions. 

His  thoughts  naturally  reverted  to  the 
Indians  of  South  America,  and  more  espe- 
cially to  those  of  the  Pampas  and  of  Chili, 


THE   MISSION  FIELD.  irj 

who    in   past    years    had    not    only   stirred 
his  compassion  by  their  spiritual  destitution, 
but  had  also  excited  his  admiration  by  the 
heroic  stand  which  they  had  made  for  their 
independence.     He  reached  Rio  Janeiro  in 
July  1838,  and  immediately  began   a  series 
of  indefatigable  journeyings   and   investig- 
ations.    We  can  give  but  a  passing  glance 
at  them.     He  travelled  to  Monte  Video  and 
Buenos    Ayres,    and    thence    to    Mendoza. 
In  fourteen  days  he   crossed   nine   hundred 
miles  of  the  Pampas,  then  scaled  the  heights 
of  the  Cordilleras,  and  after  eleven  days  of 
incessant    toil    reached    Santiago,    on    the 
Chilian  side  of  the  Andes.     From  Santiago 
he  travelled  to  Concepcion,  thence  to  New 
Guinea,  and  from  that  he  made  his  way  to 
Valparaiso.     During  these  journeys  he  had 
frequent  interviews  with  native  chiefs,   but 
the  results  were  not  satisfactory;   "They  did 
not    want   a    missionary."     Many   of  them 
had   suffered   so    fearfully   at  the   hands  of 
white  men,  and  especially  of  Spaniards,  that 
they  looked  upon   all  strangers  with  suspi- 
cion.    Some  of  them  were  even  then  under 


228  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

going  the  miseries  of  an  exterminating 
warfare  from  the  races  which  called  them- 
selves civilized,  and  there  was  no  opening 
for  the  introduction  of  the  gospel  of  peace. 
In  other  districts,  where  these  difficulties  did 
not  exist,  the  jealousy  of  the  authorities  and 
the  opposition  of  the  Romish  priesthood 
precluded  all  hope  of  doing  good ;  and  so, 
after  two  years  of  fruitless  effort,  he  quitted 
South  America,  and  directed  his  steps  to 
New  Guinea,  where  he  was  met  by  the  sullen 
suspicions  of  the  Dutch,  who  could  not  bring 
themselves  to  believe  that  an  English  officer 
was  free  from  political  designs,  and  who 
only  looked  upon  his  missionary  pronounce- 
ments as  a  cloak  for  these. 

Baffled  successively  upon  two  continents, 
and  now  once  again  in  the  Malay  Archi- 
pelago, he  conceived  the  plan  with  which  his 
last  and  best  known  enterprise  was  to  be 
associated.  In  a  letter  written  at  this  time 
to  a  friend  he  says :  *'  Having  at  last 
abandoned  all  hope  of  reaching  the  Indian 
inhabitants  where  they  are  most  civilized  and 
least  migratory,  my  thoughts  are  necessarily 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  229 

turned  toward  the  South.     Happily  for  us, 
and  T  trust  eventually  for  the  poor  Indians, 
the    Falkland    Islands    are   now   under   the 
British  flag ;  and  although  the  settlement  is 
poor,   still   it   is   the   resort    of  numbers   of 
whalers,    and   of  the   small    sealing  vessels 
which  frequent  the  Straits  of  Magellan.     The 
Patagonians  about  Gregory  Bay,  in  the  north- 
eastern part  of  the  strait,  have  always  evinced 
a  friendly  disposition  to  foreigners,  and  it  is 
to  that  spot  I  am  now  particularly  turning 
my  attention.     We  purpose   to   proceed  to 
Berkeley   Sound   in    the    Falkland    Islands. 
Making  this  our  place  of  residence,  I  intend 
to  cross  over  in  a  sealer,  and  to  spend  the 
summer  among  the  Patagonians.     Who  can 
tell  but  the  Falkland  Islands,  so  admirably 
suited  for  the  purpose,  may  become  the  key 
to   the   aborigines,    both   of  Patagonia  and 
Terra  del  Fuego  ? ' ' 

He  went  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and 
fetched  his  family  with  him  from  thence  to 
the  Falklands.  Leaving  them  there  in  a 
lonely  wooden  hut,  on  that  treeless,  shrubless 
shore,  he  set  off  with  his  servant  in  a  crazy 


230  MODERN  HEROES   OF 

schooner  for  the  stormy  Straits  of  Magellan. 
Here  he  came  into  contact  with  the  Fuegian 
dwellers  on  the  islands,  and  found  them  to  be 
barbarians  of  the  lowest  type,  whom  neither 
gifts  nor  kindliness  could  conciliate,  and  who 
were  evidently  determined  to  give  no 
countenance  to  their  white  visitors.  He 
therefore  resolved  on  making  his  way  to  a 
tribe  of  Patagonians  on  the  mainland,  con- 
cerning whom  he  had  received  some  informa- 
tion, and  with  whom  a  Spanish  Creole  had 
been  living  for  some  twelve  years.  This 
wild  adventurer  had  gained  considerable 
influence  amongst  them,  and  proved  most 
useful  to  Gardiner  as  an  interpreter.  A 
chieftain  named  Wissale  was  particularly 
friendly,  and  promised  a  welcome  to  the 
captain,  if  he  would  come  back  and  set  up 
a  mission  amongst  his  people ;  so  Gardiner 
returned  full  of  hope  and  thankfulness  to  his 
sorry  home  upon  the  Falklands,  determined 
to  bring  back  his  family  with  him,  and  to 
settle  amongst  the  Patagonians. 

But  he  was  fated  to  be  disappointed.     The 
whalers  would  not   undertake   the   perilous 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  231 

voyage  for;^300,  which  was  all  that  he  had 
to  offer  them.  His  applications  to  the 
Church  Missionary  Society  were  not  success- 
ful, for  at  that  time  they  had  not  the  means 
to  undertake  a  new  mission.  So  he  resolved 
on  returning  to  England,  and  pleading  in 
person  the  cause  of  Patagonia  amongst 
British  Christians.  Even  in  this  his  hopes 
were  frustrated.  His  appeal  was  met  with 
apathy  and  coldness  ;  but  nothing  could  chill 
the  warmth  of  his  burning  missionary  zeal. 
Failing  in  his  main  object,  he  endeavoured 
to  further  it  indirectly  by  obtaining  a  grant 
of  Bibles  and  Testaments,  and  set  sail  for 
Rio  Janeiro  in  order  to  distribute  them. 
This  was  in  1843  5  ^"^^  ^is  perils  and  experi- 
ences, as  he  travelled  from  port  to  port,  and 
from  place  to  place,  would  supply  a  chapter 
of  strange  adventure.  One  thing  resulted 
from  it,  for  which  he  was  thankful,  and  that 
was  a  promise  of  ^100  a  year  from  English 
congregations  in  South  America  towards  the 
establishment  of  a  Patagonian  mission. 

Strengthened  by  this  encouragement,  he 
returned  again  to  his  native  land,  where  his 


232  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

eloquent   and   earnest    appeals   were    more 
successful  than  those  of  his  previous  visit. 
The  foundations  of  a  missionary  society  for 
Patagonia  and  Terra  del  Fuego  were  laid  in 
1844,   and  before  the  year  expired  he  was 
again  upon  his  old  ground,  along  with  a  Mr. 
Hunt,  who  resigned  an  endowed  school  in 
Kendal  in  order  to  accompany  him,  and  to 
prepare  the  way  for  an  ordained  clergyman. 
Once  more  the  story  of  fatigue  and  danger 
was  enacted  in   reaching   the  natives ;  but 
somehow  things  were  changed  since  Gardiner 
had    left.        Wissale    proved    hostile,    and 
attempted  Gardiner's  life;  a  Spanish  padre 
had    arrived,    and    had     preoccupied     the 
ground ;  and  the  brave  pioneer,  disappointed 
but   not  dismayed,    took  advantage   of  the 
arrival  of  a  British  ship  to  return  home  and 
wait  a  more  auspicious  opportunity.     Some 
will  say  that  he  exhibited  less  patience  than 
courage,    and  that  as  he  was  prone  to  be 
rapid  and  resolute  in  making  his  beginnings, 
so  was  he  also  prone  to  relinquish  his  projects 
without  sufficient  cause.     But  the  whole  life 
of  the  man  contradicts  this  theory.     His  own 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  233 

view  of  the  case  is  the  true  explanation  of 
his  conduct,  and  it  is  summed  up  in  the 
following  passage  of  his  journal :  *'  We  can 
never  do  wrong  in  casting  the  Gospel  net  on 
any  side  or  in  any  place.  During  many  a 
dark  and  wearisome  night  we  may  appear  to 
have  toiled  in  vain,  but  it  will  not  be  always 
so."  "If  they  persecute  you  in  one  city,  flee 
ye  to  another." 

It  was  no  marvel  if,  after  such  failures, 
his  supporters  in  England  began  to  hesitate 
about  further  attempts ;  but  his  own  resolu- 
tion remained  unshaken.  "  Whatever  course 
you  may  determine  upon,"  said  our  hero, 
*'  I  have  made  up  my  mind  to  go  back  again 
to  South  America,  and  leave  no  stone  un- 
turned, no  effort  untried,  to  establish  a 
mission  amongst  the  aboriginal  tribes.  They 
have  a  right  to  be  instructed  in  the  Gospel 
of  Christ.  While  God  gives  me  strength, 
failure  shall  not  daunt  me.  This,  then,  is 
my  firm  resolve — to  go  back  and  make 
further  researches  among  the  natives  of  the 
interior,  whether  any  possible  opening  may 
be   found   which   has   hitherto   escaped   me 


234  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

through  the  Spanish  Americans,  or  whether 
Terra  del  Fuego  is  the  only  ground  left  us  for 
our  last  attempt.  This  I  intend  to  do  at  my 
own  risk,  whether  the  Society  is  broken  up 
or  not.  Fund  the  money  which  belongs  to 
the  Society,  and  wait  to  see  the  result  of  the 
researches  now  to  be  made.  Our  Saviour 
has  given  a  commandment  to  preach  the 
Gospel  even  to  the  ends  of  the  earth.  He 
will  provide  for  the  fulfilment  of  His  own 
purpose.     Let  us  only  obey  !  " 

The  deeds  of  the  man  were  as  heroic  as 
his  words.  In  1846,  we  find  him  in  company 
with  a  Spanish  Protestant,  making  his  way 
through  Bolivia,  despite  of  fever  and  opposi- 
tion, to  reach  the  Indians  who  lay  beyond ; 
and  presently  we  discover  him  once  again 
travelling  up  and  down  through  England, 
reporting  the  openings  he  had  discovered, 
and  endeavouring  to  fire  his  auditors  with 
something  of  his  own  burning  enthusiasm. 
If  he  had  found  it  difficult  to  urge  his  com- 
mittee on,  they  now  found  that  it  was  impos- 
sible to  hold  him  back.  Their  means  were 
not  sufficient  to  fit  out  such  an  expedition  as 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  235 

he  wished  for,  but  he  induced  them  to  consent 
to  an  experimental  one  on  a  smaller  scale. 
With  four  sailors  and  one  ship-carpenter,  a 
dingey,  a  whaleboat,  and  two  wigwams,  he 
started  in  1848  in  the  barque  Clymene.,  bound 
for  Payta.  He  landed  at  Picton  Island, 
where  the  thievish  propensities  of  the  Fue- 
gians  soon  made  it  manifest  that  a  mission 
amongst  them  could  only  be  safely  conducted 
afloat,  that  for  this  purpose  a  ship  would 
be  required,  and  that  the  boats  which  he 
had  brought  from  England  were  unsuited 
for  his  hazardous  enterprise  in  such  stormy 
latitudes.  And  so  the  dauntless  sailor  re- 
turned to  England  to  urge  the  need  of  larger 
means  and  a  more  thorough  equipment. 

He  found  it  impossible  to  stir  up  the 
generosity  of  British  Christians  to  the  libe- 
rality that  was  required.  No  one  knew 
better  than  he  did  what  was  absolutely  needed 
for  such  a  project,  and  again  and  again  he 
pressed  his  convictions  concerning  it  upon 
the  Society  at  home.  But  their  funds  were 
small,  and  it  may  be  mentioned  that  of  the 
;^iooo  collected  he  gave  ^300  himself.     So, 


236  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

sooner  than  abandon  his  enterprise,  he  re- 
luctantly resolved  to  modify  his  plans,  and 
reduce  them  to  the  lowest  estimate,  in  the 
self-denying-  but  delusive  hope  that  some 
additional  danger  and  hardship,  endured  by 
himself  and  his  companions,  would  compen- 
sate for  the  absence  of  those  better  equip- 
ments which  his  nautical  experience  had  so 
wisely  suggested  at  the  first. 

On  the  7th  September,  1850,  the  expe- 
dition sailed.  The  names  of  the  deathless 
seven  deserve  to  be  recorded.  Allen  Gar- 
diner was  the  chief,,  and  was  accompanied  by 
two  catechists — Surgeon  Williams  and  John 
Maidment;  three  Cornish  fishermen — Pearce, 
Badcock,  and  Bryant,  well  accustomed  to 
stormy  seas  in  the  Irish  Channel;  and  a 
ship-carpenter  named  Joseph  Erwin,  who 
had  been  with  Gardiner  on  his  previous 
voyage,  and  now  volunteered  for  this  fresh 
service,  declaring  that  to  be  with  such  a 
captain  *'  was  like  a  heaven  upon  earth,  he 
was  such  a  man  of  prayer."  They  were  all 
men  of  simple  piety,  and  went  to  the  work 
with    holy   resolution.      From   first    to    last 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  237 

not  a  jarring  word  was  heard  In  that  devoted 
company,  and  their  one  object  was  "to 
serve  the  good  Master  in  whose  name  they 
had  gone  forth."  The  Ocean  Queen,  bound 
for  San  Francisco,  gave  them  a  passage, 
and  undertook  to  land  them  at  Terra  del 
Fuego,  with  their  two  launches — the  Pioneer 
and  the  Speedwell^  and  provisions  for  six 
months. 

And  now  we  come  to  the  story  of  the 
saddest  disaster  in  the  records  of  missionary 
enterprise.  It  had  been  arranged  that  pro- 
visions for  another  six  months  should  follow 
the  party,  but  the  committee  could  not  find 
any  ship  that  would  consent  to  go  out  of  its 
course  to  Picton  Island,  and  they  had  there- 
fore to  forward  the  supplies  to  the  Falklands. 
The  governor  there  arranged  to  send  them 
on,  but  by  a  sad  fatality  the  vessel  was 
wrecked,  and  the  master  of  a  second  dis- 
obeyed orders,  and  so  the  missionary  party 
were  left  unprovided.  Meantime  they  had 
landed,  but  were  compelled  by  the  plunder- 
ing habits  and  hostile  attitude  of  the  natives 
to  re-embark,  and  seek  shelter  in  a  distant 


238  MODERN  HEROES   OF 

and  retired  bay,  where  they  settled  down  in 
two  companies,  and  waited  in  longing 
expectation  for  the  promised  relief.  The 
storms  crippled  their  boats,  and  destroyed 
one  of  them.  Their  nets  were  torn  to  pieces 
by  the  action  of  the  ice,  and  as  by  an  unfor- 
tunate oversight  their  powder  had  been  for- 
gotten on  board  the  Ocean  Queen,  they  could 
obtain  no  fresh  supplies  of  food.  At  length 
their  stores  were  becoming  exhausted,  and 
they  had  to  subsist  mainly  on  limpets, 
mussels,  and  wild  celery.  Scurvy  broke 
out  amongst  them,  and  added  its  horrors  to 
those  of  hunger.  One  by  one  they  died 
upon  that  desert  shore,  and  Gardiner  was  the 
last  survivor  of  the  gallant  band  ! 

Twenty  days  after  his  death,  the  yokn 
Davison,  under  Captain  Smyly,  sailed  from 
Monte  Video  to  enquire  after  them,  and 
soon  anchored  in  Banner  Cove.  He  found 
a  direction  painted  on  the  rocks — *'  Gone  to 
Spaniard  Harbour."  Let  us  tell  the  sequel 
in  Captain  Smyly's  words  : — 

"Oct.  22,  1851.  Ran  to  Spaniard 
Harbour.     Blowing  a   severe   gale.     Went 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  239 

on  shore,  and  found  a  boat  with  one  person 
dead  inside  ;  another  body  we  found  on  the 
beach,  another  buried.  These,  we  have 
every  reason  to  believe,  are  Pearce,  Williams, 
and  Badcock.  The  sight  was  awful  in  the 
extreme.  The  two  captains  who  were  with 
me  in  the  boat  cried  like  children.  Books, 
papers,  medicine  were  strewed  along  the 
beach,  and  on  the  boats,  deck,  and  cuddy. 
.  .  .  But  we  had  no  time  to  make  further 
search,  as  the  gale  came  on  so  hard.  It 
gave  us  barely  time  to  bury  the  corpses  on 
the  beach  and  get  on  board.  The  gale 
continued  to  increase,  so  that  it  drove  us 
from  our  anchorage  and  out  to  sea.  ...  I 
have  never  found  in  my  life  such  Christian 
fortitude,  such  patience  and  bearing,  as  in 
the  records  of  these  unfortunate  men  ;  they 
have  never  murmured,  and  Mr.  Williams 
writes  in  one  of  his  papers,  and  in  the  time 
of  greatest  distress,  *  I  am  happy  beyond  all 
expression.'  " 

Meantime,  H.M.S.  Dido  had  been  ordered 
by  the  Admiralty  to  search  for  the  mission- 
ary party.     She  arrived   in  January  1852; 


240  MODERN  HEROES   OF 

and  Captain  Morshead,  guided  by  the  sen- 
tence on  the  rocks,  made  for  Spaniard 
Harbour.  The  following  is  his  melancholy- 
record  : — 

*'  Our  notice  was  first  attracted  by  a  boat 
lying  upon  the  beach.  It  was  blowing  very 
fresh  from  the  south,  and  the  ship  rode 
uneasily  at  her  anchor.  I  instantly  sent 
Lieut.  PIgott  and  Mr.  Roberts  to  reconnoitre 
and  return  immediately,  as  I  was  anxious  to 
get  the  ship  to  sea  again  in  safety  for  the 
night ;  they  returned  shortly,  bringing  some 
books  and  papers,  and  having  discovered 
the  bodies  of  Captain  Gardiner  and  Mr. 
Maidment  unburied.  .  .  .  On  one  of  the 
papers  was  written  legibly,  *  If  you  will 
walk  along  the  beach  for  a  mile  and  a  half, 
you  will  find  us  in  the  other  boat,  hauled  up 
in  the  mouth  of  a  river  at  the  head  of  the 
harbour,  on  the  south  side.  Delay  not — we 
are  starving'  At  this  sad  intelligence  it 
was  impossible  to  leave  that  night,  though 
the  weather  looked  very  threatening.  .  .  .  We 
landed  early  next  morning,  January  22nd, 
and  visited  the  spot  where  Captain  Gardiner 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  241 

and  his  comrade  were  lying,  and  then  went 
to  the  head  of  the  harbour.  We  found  there 
the  wreck  of  a  boat,  with  part  of  her  gear 
and  stores,  and  a  quantity  of  clothing,  with 
the  remains  of  two  bodies,  which  I  conclude 
to  be  Mr.  Williams  (surgeon),  and  John 
Pearce  (Cornish  fisherman),  as  the  papers 
clearly  show  the  death  and  burial  of  all  the 
rest  of  the  mission  party.  The  two  boats 
were  thus  about  a  mile  and  a  half  apart. 
Near  the  one  where  Captain  Gardiner  was 
lying  was  a  large  cavern,  called  by  him  Pioneer 
Cavern,  where  they  kept  their  stores  and 
occasionally  slept,  and  in  that  cavern  Mr. 
Maidment's  body  was  found.  .  .  .  Captain 
Gardiner's  body  was  lying  beside  the  boat, 
which  apparently  he  had  left,  and  being  too 
weak  to  climb  into  it  again,  had  died  by  the 
side  of  it.  We  were  directed  to  the  cavern 
by  a  hand  painted  on  the  rocks,  with 
Psalm  Ixii.  5-8  under  it" 

The  words  referred  to  are  the  following, 
and  the  choice  of  them  under  such  circum- 
stances proves  how  strong  and  unshaken  was 
the  faith  of  Gardiner  and  his  companions  : — 

16 


242  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

*'  My  soul,  wait  thou  only  upon  God ;  for  my 
expectation  is  from  Him.  He  only  is  my  rock 
and  my  salvation ;  He  is  my  defence ;  I  shall 
not  be  moved.  In  God  is  my  salvation  and  my 
glory  ;  the  rock  of  my  strength^  and  my  refuge, 
is  in  Gody  The  diaries,  which  fortunately 
have  been  preserved,  give  a  thrilling  account 
of  those  terrible  months  of  patient  endurance 
and  heroic  resolution.  They  tell  moreover 
of  the  love  and  consideration  manifested  by 
the  noble  leader  for  his  devoted  band.  There 
is  something  unspeakably  touching  in  the 
account  of  his  getting  Maidment  to  con- 
struct crutches  out  of  two  forked  sticks,  so 
that  he  might  try  to  reach  the  other  section 
of  his  little  company,  and  be  a  comfort  to 
them.  But  his  strength  was  not  equal  to 
the  effort,  and  he  had  to  return  to  his  boat. 
There  Maidment  ministered  to  him,  until  he 
too  sank  from  exhaustion.  He  had  left  a 
little  peppermint-water  beside  the  bed  of 
his  chief,  and  retired  for  rest  to  the  cave, 
but  from  it  he  never  returned. 

When  we  get  our  last  glimpse  of  Gardiner, 
he  is  weakly  endeavouring,  with  his  india- 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  243 

rubber  shoe,  to  scoop  some  water  from  a  little 
pool  which  had  trickled  down  at  the  stern  of 
his  boat.  The  last  words  he  wrote  were 
these:  "Our  dear  brother  left  the  boat  on 
Tuesday  at  noon,  and  has  not  since  returned; 
doubtless  he  is  in  the  presence  of  his  Re- 
deemer, whom  he  served  so  faithfully.  Yet 
a  little  while,  and  through  grace  we  may 
join  that  blessed  throng,  to  sing  the  praises 
of  Christ  through  eternity.  I  neither  hunger 
nor  thirst,  though  five  days  without  food  ! 
Marvellous  lovingkindness  to  me  a  sinner!" 

It  was  with  sorrowing  hearts  the  sailors  of 
the  Dido  gathered  together  all  that  remained 
of  this  heroic  band,  and  gave  them  Christian 
sepulture.  The  funeral  service  was  appro- 
priately read  by  a  naval  officer  at  the  grave 
of  Captain  Gardiner  and  his  comrades.  The 
colours  of  the  boats  and  ship  were  struck 
half-mast,  and  three  volleys  of  musketry  re- 
echoed on  that  lonely  shore,  as  the  last 
tribute  of  respect  to  a  gallant  and  noble- 
minded  Englishman. 

No,  we  will  not  call  it  the  last  tribute  of 
respect.     In  the  letters  and  journals  which 


244  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

he  wrote  in  his  ''boat  dormitory,"  he  com- 
mitted his  mission  to  the  care  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church,  and  sketched  out  the  methods 
by  which  he  thought  it  would  be  best  ad- 
vanced. That  legacy  of  faith  and  love  was 
administered  to  in  the  court  of  Christian 
charity  by  devoted  men,  who  became  his 
followers  in  the  work  on  which  he  had  set 
his  heart.  His  own  son  was  one  of  that 
heroic  band.  A  mission-ship,  called  the 
Allen  Gardiner,  was  built  as  the  best  memo- 
rial of  his  name.  The  Falklands  have  been 
since  erected  into  an  English  bishopric, 
and  the  first  occupant  of  the  see  is  a  man 
who  had  already  devoted  his  life  to  God  in 
the  same  missionary  field  where  Captain 
Gardiner  fell.  Perhaps  nothing  short  of  the 
sad  catastrophe  which  we  have  described 
would  have  awakened  English  Christians 
out  of  the  apathy  from  which  Gardiner  had 
found  it  so  impossible  to  arouse  them, 
or  kindled  that  zeal  on  behalf  of  South 
America  which  we  are  thankful  to  say  has 
been  evoked  by  his  sad  but  glorious 
fate. 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  245 

"  The  white  foam  crests  the  wave, 

The  wind  sweeps  weirdly  by  ; 
And  whirUng  round  with  plaintive  sound 
The  stormy  petrels  cry. 

"  Amid  the  beetling  rocks, 

In  a  chill  cavern's  shade, 
Within  the  gloom  of  that  strange  dark  tomb 

A  dying  bed  is  made ! 

"  A  gallant  seaman  there 

Casts  round  his  sunken  eyes : 
Unblanched  by  fear,  tho'  grim  Death  is  near, 

A  noble  Christian  dies. 

"  No  greed  for  yellow  gold; 

To  head  no  conquering  band ; 
Not  fame  had  led  the  sleeping^  dead 

To  seek  that  savage  land. 

"  I  see  a  morning  dawn, 
A  King  upon  His  throne. 
And  thousands  stand  at  His  right  hand', 
Who  well  their  work  have  done. 

"  With  wreaths  of  victory  crowned, 

Among  that  conquering  band, 
On  the  crystal  sea  his  rest  shall  be, 

Who  died  for  the  Southern  land !  " 


X. 

ALEXANDER  DUFF,   D.D.    INDIA,    1830— 1864. 

Some  sixty  years  ago  a  bright  imaginative 
boy  was  lying,  amongst  the  blaeberries,  upon 
the  bank  of  a  stream  that  flowed  close  by 
his  father's  Highland  cottage,  as  it  nestled 
beneath  the  shadow  of  the  Grampians.  A 
short  time  before  this  he  had  fallen  into  the 
burn,  and  had  narrowly  escaped  from  drown- 
ing. The  incident  had  made  a  deep  impres- 
sion upon  him,  which  was  further  deepened 
by  the  reading  of  Buchanan's  weird  Gaelic 
poem,  **The  Day  of  Judgment,"  and  Milton's 
sublime  epic  of  *'  Paradise  Lost,"  both  of 
which  exercised  a  strange  fascination  over 
his  young  mind.  And  so  it  came  to  pass 
that  as  he  lay  beside  the  stream  he  fell 
asleep,  and  dreamed  a  dream,  which,  whether 
we  regard  it  as  a  prevision  of  his  fancy,  or 
as  an  intimation  of  his  future  destiny,  may 


248  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

well  be  deemed  remarkable.  He  saw  above 
him  a  glorious  light,  from  which  there  issued 
by-and-by  a  golden  chariot  studded  with 
gems,  and  drawn  by  horses  of  fire.  It 
reached  his  side,  and  he  heard  a  voice  say- 
ing to  him,  *'  Come  up  hither,  I  have 
work  for  thee  to  do."  In  the  effort  to  arise 
the  young  sleeper  awoke ;  but  the  remem- 
brance of  that  dream  never  left  him  during 
a  long  life,  and  shortly  before  his  death  he 
related  it  to  his  grandson. 

That  youth  was  Alexander  Duff,  who  was 
destined  to  be,  in  more  senses  than  one,  the 
first  missionary  of  the  Established  Church  of 
Scotland,  and  to  exercise  an  influence  upon 
the  future  of  India  more  potent  than  that  of 
any  other  man  of  his  time,  whether  amongst 
the  ranks  of  statesmen,  warriors,  or  philan- 
thropists. His  father's  spiritual  lineage  has 
been  traced  to  the  preaching  of  Charles 
Simeon,  whose  solitary  sermon  in  a  Scotch 
village  kindled  new  light  in  the  heart  of  the 
pastor  whose  ministry  Duff's  parents  had 
long  attended.  The  Highland  farmer  caught 
from  his  minister  a  portion  of  that  blessed 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  249 

Illumination,  and  endeavoured  to  communi- 
cate it  to  his  children. 

Young  Duft's  first  introduction  to  mission- 
ary topics  came  to  him  through  his  father, 
who  was  wont  to  show  his  children  pictures 
of  Juggernaut  and  other  heathen  idols, 
accompanying  them  with  explanations,  which 
were  well  calculated  to  awaken  compassion  in 
the  hearts  of  his  young  hearers  for  the  state 
of  the  heathen.  These  feelings  were  intensi- 
fied when  he  passed  from  the  Grammar  School 
at  Perth,  of  which  he  had  becom.e  the  dux^ 
to  the  University  of  St.  Andrews,  with  ^20 
in  his  pocket,  being  all  the  patrimony  that 
his  worthy  father  could  bestow  upon  his  son. 
Here  "  the  eagle-eyed  impulsive  youth " 
made  his  own  way  by  winning  scholarships 
and  exhibitions,  and  had  the  good  fortune  to 
become  at  once  the  pupil  and  the  friend  of 
the  illustrious  Chalmers.  That  great  man 
had  just  come  to  fill  the  chair  of  Moral 
Philosophy,  and  his  teaching,  example,  and 
enthusiasm  were  like  "  life  from  the  dead." 
He  stirred  the  dull  stagnation  of  moderatism 
into   which   the   Church    of  Scotland    had 


250  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

settled  down,  and  won  a  benignant  and 
triumphant  ascendancy  over  the  students  of 
the  university.  Duff  was  one  of  that  noble 
band  of  young  men  who  came  under  his 
magic  influence,  and  when  the  great  Scotch 
orator  delivered  his  famous  prelections  on 
missionary  subjects  In  the  Town  Hall,  was 
among  the  first  to  yield  himself  to  the 
overpowering  spell.  Here,  too,  he  heard 
Marshman  and  Morrison  recount  the  story  of 
their  missionary  and  linguistic  labours,  and 
thus  he  enlarged  the  compass  of  his  infor- 
mation, and  his  admiration  of  the  work. 

The  missionary  spirit  had  been  awakened 
in  Scotland:  Inglis  and  Chalmers  had  infused 
new  life  into  the  then  almost  effete  instru- 
mentality called  "  the  Scottish  Missionary 
Society."  India  was  chosen  as  the  field  of 
its  operations,  and  the  distinctive  feature 
of  this  new  aggression  upon  its  heathenism 
consisted  in  the  determination  to  call  in  the 
aid  of  European  science,  and  of  English 
literature  to  dislodge  the  absurdities  of  the 
ancient  superstitions,  and  to  reach  the  lead- 
ing classes   of  Hindustan,  who,  up  to  this 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  251 

time,  had  remained  almost  untouched  and 
uninfluenced  by  Christian  truth.  It  was  no 
part,  however,  of  the  system  conceived  by 
these  gifted  men  that  Christianity  was  to  be 
divorced  from  science,  but  rather  that  the 
latter,  in  all  its  departments,  should  be 
permeated  by  the  influence  of  the  former. 
From  them  "  Duff  imbibed  his  firm  and 
noble  belief  in  the  inseparable  unity  of  truth, 
and  his  immovable  conviction  that  all  true 
science  pointed  the  way  to  revealed 
theolog-y." 

It  was  not,  however,  until  he  had  been  a 
third  time  pressed  by  his  superiors  to  under- 
take an  office,  from  which,  (on  account  of  his 
high  estimate  of  its  dignity,  and  his  unfeigned 
consciousness  of  personal  unworthiness,)  he 
had  shrunk  again  and  again,  that  young  Duff 
surrendered  himself  to  the  manifest  guidings 
of  Providence,  and  consented  to  go  forth,  in 
the  strength  of  the  Lord,  to  carry  out  the 
projects  of  his  gifted  teachers.  All  he  asked 
was  freedom  from  local  control  in  India,  and 
perfect  liberty  to  use  his  own  judgment  as  to 
the  system  of  discipline  and  tuition  to   be 


252  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

employed    in    the   seminary   which  he   was 
commissioned  to  found. 

In  October  1829,  the  young  missionary 
sailed  for  Hindustan,  in  the  Lady  Holland^ 
with  the  passport  of  an  "  interloper  "  ;  so 
necessary,  alas  !  in  those  days  of  intolerance. 
He  had  already  won  literary  and  scientific 
distinctions,  as  well  as  theological  honours. 
To  a  robust  frame,  which  had  been  inured  to 
exercise  and  peril  among  his  native  moun- 
tains, he  added  that  sturdy  and  yet  cautious 
spirit  which  so  generally  distinguishes  his 
countrymen,  and  that  genial  affection  and 
vigorous  intellect  which,  in  their  combination, 
are  always  so  powerful  and  so  attractive. 
Above  all,  he  was  gifted  with  fervent  piety, 
and  filled  with  the  spirit  of  Divine  love — his 
best  equipment  for  the  glorious  work  which 
he  had  to  perform. 

He  was  literally  cast  like  a  seaweed  upon 
the  shores  of  India.  He  had  been  already 
shipwrecked  at  "  the  Cape,"  and  had  lost 
his  valuable  library.  The  only  thing  saved 
from  the  wreck  was  a  Bible  and  Psalter, 
which  had  been  given  him  as  a  parting  gift 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  253 

at  his  ordination,  and  in  the  preservation  of 
which  the  devoted  missionary  read  an  intima- 
tion that  henceforth  the  Book  of  Books  must 
be  his  supreme  and  absorbing  study.  ''They 
are  gone,"  said  he,  speaking  of  his  eight 
hundred  volumes,  *'  and  blessed  be  God,  I 
can  say  '  gone '  without  a  murmur.  So 
perish  all  earthly  things:  the  treasure  that 
is  laid  up  in  heaven  alone  is  unassailable." 
He  was  often  heard  to  say  that  this  event 
exercised  a  most  important  influence  on  the 
whole  of  his  subsequent  career.  Scarcely 
had  the  Moira,  in  which  he  left  the  Cape, 
entered  the  Hoogly,  than  the  south-west 
monsoon  struck  her  in  its  fury,  and  drove  her 
as  a  shattered  wreck  upon  the  shore.  The 
missionary  and  his  wife  were  barely  rescued 
from  the  rolling  billows,  and  they  spent  their 
first  night  in  India  within  the  shelter  of  a 
heathen  temple.  Even  this  was  a  favourable 
introduction.  "Surely,"  exclaimed  the 
natives,  "  this  man  is  a  favourite  of  the 
gods!" 

Though  kindly  welcomed  by  such  men  as 
Corrie,    and   Browne,  and   Adam,  he  found 


254  '  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

that  the  whole  missionary  body  in  Calcutta, 
with  the  one  solitary  exception  of  the  aged 
Carey,  were  decidedly  hostile  to  his  plans. 
And  we  can  scarcely  wonder  at  it,  for  in 
many  cases  the  natives  who  had  hitherto 
come  into  contact  with  English  science  and 
literature  had  turned  it  to  bad  account. 
Tom  Paine  and  his  "Age  of  Reason"  had 
become  the  favourite  author  of  those  who 
had  learned  English.  In  the  Hindu  College, 
where  western  science  had  been  for  some 
time  taught,  but  taught  apart  from  religion, 
several  young  Brahmins  had  indeed  renounced 
their  superstitions,  but  were  lapsing  into  utter 
infidelity.  The  missionaries  saw  the  dangers 
which  were  likely  to  accrue ;  but  they  did  not 
see,  like  Duff,  that  those  dangers  must  be 
met  and  conquered,  nor  did  they  perceive, 
like  him,  that  new  forces  were  at  hand  which 
would  facilitate  the  task.  It  was  in  the  face 
of  the  highest  authorities,  in  the  face  of 
Government  enactments,  and  of  learned  dis- 
sertations, and  despite  the  practice  of  Chris- 
tian philanthropists,  that  Duff  resolved,  after 
mature  consideration,  to  repudiate  Sanscrit, 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  255 

Persian,  and  other  Oriental  tongues,  and 
openly  and  fearlessly  to  proclaim  English 
as  the  most  effective  medium  of  Indian 
enlightenment ;  to  make  it  in  fact  what 
Greek  and  Latin  had  been  to  the  Renais- 
sance and  at  the  Reformation,  and  to 
employ  science  in  connexion  with  Chris- 
tianity as  the  means  of  influencing  those 
who,  by  their  attainments  and  occupations, 
were  destined  to  direct  the  national  heart 
and  intellect  of  Hindustan. 

In  one  thing  only  did  the  bold  young 
missionary  disregard  home  orders ;  and  in 
this  act  of  disobedience  he  exhibited  some- 
thing of  the  same  genius  which  was  displayed 
by  Nelson  at  St.  Vincent,  when  he  placed  the 
telescope  to  his  sightless  eye,  and  refused  to 
see  the  signal  which  would  have  robbed  his 
fleet  and  his  country  of  a  glorious  victory. 
The  authorities  in  Scotland,  following  in  the 
track  of  Bishop  Middleton  and  of  the  Baptists, 
had  resolved  that  the  new  seminary  should 
not  be  established  in  Calcutta.  Duff  saw 
that  its  location  there  was  absolutely  neces- 
sary to  its  success ;  so  he  planted  his  college 


256  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

in  the  great  Chitpore  Road,  the  very  centre 
of  native  life ;  and  the  issue  proved  that  he 
was  right. 

It  was  opened  on  the  12th  July,  1830.  A 
remarkable  man  was  present.  This  was 
none  other  than  Rammohun  Roy,  the  Indian 
Reformer,  who  was  now  approaching  the 
close  of  his  memorable  career.  At  the  early 
age  of  sixteen  he  had  been  led,  through  the 
study  of  Sanscrit  and  Arabic,  to  renounce 
heathenism.  Having  entered  the  service  of 
the  British  Government,  he  had  conducted 
himself  with  conspicuous  integrity ;  but  at 
the  age  of  fifty  he  resigned  his  office,  and 
entered  upon  a  course  of  philosophic  inquiry, 
which  led  eventually  to  his  institution  of 
"  the  Brahmo  Somaj,"  the  main  principle  of 
which  was  to  proclaim  and  to  practise  the 
worship  of  the  one  supreme  and  eternal  God. 
This  man,  though  he  never  recognized  the 
divinity  or  atonement  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  had  conceived  the  deepest  reverence 
for  His  teaching,  and  the  young  missionary, 
with  quick  discernment,  saw  how  the  Deistic 
Reformer  could  be  rendered   helpful  to  his 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  257 

own  Christian  plans.  He  therefore  entered 
into  communication  with  him,  explained  the 
objects  he  had  in  view,  won  his  co-operation, 
and  through  his  influence  secured  a  number 
of  pupils  for  his  seminary. 

Duft's  biographer  has  given  us  a  graphic 
account  of  the  opening  day.  The  missionary 
slowly  repeated  the  Lord's  prayer  in  Ben- 
gali. Rammohun  Roy  stood  up  to  show 
his  reverence,  and  the  pupils  followed  his 
example.  *'  Then  came  the  more  critical 
act.  Himself  putting  a  copy  of  the  Gospels 
into  their  hands,  the  missionary  requested 
some  of  the  older  pupils  to  read.  There 
was  a  murmuring  amongst  the  Brahmins 
who  were  among  them,  and  this  found  voice 
in  the  protest  of  a  leader :  '  This  is  the 
Christian  Shaster ;  we  are  not  Christians ; 
how  then  can  we  read  it  ?  It  may  make  us 
Christians,  and  our  friends  will  drive  us  out 
of  caste !  '  Now  was  the  time  for  Ram- 
mohun Roy,  who  explained  to  his  young 
countrymen  that  they  were  mistaken. 
'Christians,'  said  he,  'like  Dr.  Wilson,  have 
studied  the   Hindu   Shasters,  and  you  know 

17 


258  MODERN  HEROES   OF 

that  he  has  not  become  a  Hindu.     I  myself 
have  read  all  the  Koran  again   and  again, 
and  has  that  made  me  a  Mussulman  ?     Nay, 
I  have   studied   the   whole   Bible,  and   you 
know   I   am   not   a   Christian.       Read   and 
judge  for  yourselves.     Not  compulsion,  but 
enlightened    persuasion,    which    you     may 
resist  if  you  choose,  constitutes   you   your- 
selves judges  of  the  contents  of  the  book.' 
Most  of  the  remonstrants  seemed  satisfied." 
The  first  and  chief  difficulty  having  been 
thus   surmounted,   Duff  threw  himself  with 
all  his  native  enthusiasm  into  his  work,  train- 
ing his  own  assistants,  and   taking  his  full 
share  in  the  drudgery  of  the  most  elementary 
teaching.      The    institution    grew   in    popu- 
larity ;  the  applications  for  admission  were 
so  numerous  that  selections  had  to  be  made. 
From   a   school   it   soon    developed   into   a 
college,  attended  by  natives  of  every  caste, 
from  the  Brahmin   downwards,  and  of  every 
age,  from  eight  to  one-and-twenty.     At  the 
end  of  twelve  months  a  public  examination 
was   held    under   the    presidency  of  Arch- 
deacon Corrie.     Lord  William  Bentinck  and 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  259 

Sir  Charles  Trevelyan  were  amongst  the 
audience,  and  expressed  their  surprise  at 
the  knowledge  of  English  grammar  and 
idiom  exhibited  by  the  boys,  and  still  more 
at  the  ease  and  accuracy  with  which  they 
read  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  answered 
questions  not  merely  on  its  history,  but 
also  upon  its  doctrines  and  morals.  The 
Governor-General  afterwards,  in  his  farewell 
address,  described  it  as  *'  a  model  mis- 
sionary effort  which  even  in  its  early  years 
had  produced  unparalleled  results."  Visitors 
from  distant  provinces  came  to  the  Assem- 
bly's celebrated  academy,  caught  the  spirit 
of  its  plan,  and  returning  to  their  own 
districts  laid  there  the  foundations  of  similar 
institutions. 

All  this  was  not  achieved  without  a  pro- 
longed conflict  between  the  Anglicans  and 
the  Orientalists ;  there  were  giants  on  both 
sides  ;  but  eventually  the  former  triumphed. 
Macauley,  Trevelyan,  Bird,  and  Colvin  took 
the  same  side  as  Duff;  and  when  at  length 
Lord  William  Bentinck,  one  of  the  greatest 
of  our  Indian  proconsuls,  issued  the  famous 


26o  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

decree  of  the  7th  of  March,  1835,  which 
ordained  that  the  Government  should  for 
the  future  promote  to  the  utmost  European 
literature  and  science,  the  whole  weight  of 
English  rule  was  thrown  into  a  movement 
which  must  inevitably  lead  to  the  disintegra- 
tion of  Hinduism.  The  simple  facts  of 
geography,  and  the  true  theory  of  solar  and 
lunar  eclipses,  as  taught  in  the  school,  were 
enough  in  themselves  to  strike  a  fatal  blow 
at  Hindu  theology  ;  and  when  the  first 
Brahmin  consented  to  dissect  a  human  body 
in  the  medical  college  (and  this  was  a  fruit 
of  the  education  received  in  Dr.  Duff's 
seminary),  it  was  felt  that  the  system  of 
caste  had  received  a  deadly  wound. 

But  Duff,  wiser  than  the  British  Govern- 
ment, kept  up  an  intimate  link  between 
secular  and  religious  instruction.  Lectures 
on  natural  and  revealed  religion  were  publicly 
delivered  by  the  young  missionary,  and  these 
led  to  such  earnest  and  animated  debates, 
that  the  Governor-General  had  to  satisfy 
himself  that  no  political  danger  was  to  be 
apprehended  from  them.     "  The  Hindu  col- 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  261 

lege "  sent  its  ablest  representatives  to 
uphold  the  tottering  fabric  of  their  faith ; 
but  the  controversy  ended  in  some  of  the 
most  prominent  of  them  becoming  Christians. 
One  of  these,  Krishnu  Mohun  Banerjea,  a 
distinguished  Koolin  Brahmin,  became  one 
of  the  most  leading  clergymen  in  Calcutta ; 
and  another,  Gopeenath  Nundy,  was  will- 
ing to  lay  down  his  life,  during  the  Indian 
mutiny,  as  a  martyr  for  Christ.  To  aid  his 
children  in  the  faith,  the  devoted  missionary 
opened  Sunday  and  week-day  classes  for  the 
study  of  the  Scriptures  and  for  prayer.  He 
erected  a  wicker-work,  chapel  for  preaching 
in  the  vernacular,  and  held  an  English 
service  every  Lord's  Day  evening.  For 
inquirers  he  conducted  courses  of  lectures 
on  the  Bible  and  philosophy;  and  when 
his  opponents,  foiled  in  this  arena,  betook 
themselves  to  writing  in  the  Bengali  news- 
papers, this  undaunted  advocate  for  Christian 
truth  followed  them,  and  made  each  fresh 
assault  the  occasion  of  a  new  and  blessed 
victory. 

To  tell  of  the  labours  of  Duff  on  behalf  of 


262  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

natives,  Eurasians,  and  Europeans,  during" 
his  first  four  eventful  years  in  India,  would 
be  to  write  a  volume,  and  not  to  sketch  an 
outline.  He  soon  converted  the  solitude  of 
his  own  kirk  into  a  goodly  congregation,  and 
his  energy  and  enthusiasm  infueed  such  new 
life  amongst  churchmen,  that  the  British 
chaplain  found  the  attendance  at  his  ser- 
vice steadily  increasing-.  Sunday  observ- 
ance was  at  its  lowest  ebb  when  Duff 
came  to  the  rescue,  and  restored  some 
degree  of  sacredness  to  the  day  of  rest. 
His  influence  was  felt  everywhere  as  that 
of  a  master-mind,  as  well  as  that  of  a 
devoted  Christian. 

But  exhaustion  was  induced  by  all  this 
incessant  toil,  and  he  had  to  return  to  England 
in  1834.  What  a  trial  to  him  this  enforced- 
absence  proved  itself  we  may  judge  from  his 
own  language  when  describing  the  spirit  in 
which  he  consecrated  himself  to  the  work : 
"  Having  set  my  hand  to  the  plough,  my 
resolution  was  peremptorily  taken,  the  Lord 
helping  me,  never  to  look  back  any  more, 
and  never  to  make  a  half-hearted  work  of  it. 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  263 

Having  chosen  missionary  labour  in  India,  I 
gave  myself  up  wholly  to  it  in  the  destination 
of  my  own  mind.  I  united  or  wedded  myself 
to  it  in  a  covenant,  the  bonds  of  which  should 
be  severed  only  by  death."  And  so,  when 
the  great  missionary  left  the  scene  of  his 
labours,  it  was  only  to  stir  up  the  spirit  of 
his  fellow-Christians  at  home  by  such  appeals 
as  they  had  seldom  heard  before,  and  to  give 
the  Church  at  large  such  views  of  duty  and 
of  responsibility  in  respect  to  the  heathen 
world  as  it  had  never  hitherto  realized.  It 
is  not  too  much  to  say  that  he  served  the 
cause  of  missions  quite  as  much,  during  his 
five  years'  residence  in  Great  Britain,  as  he 
had  already  done  by  his  four  years  of  inces- 
sant labour  in  India.  He  developed,  during 
this  period,  a  wondrous  power  of  natural 
oratory ;  and  those  who  listened  to  his  sub- 
lime and  stirring  appeals  came  away,  not 
like  the  auditors  of  Cicero,  saying,  "  What  a 
mighty  orator !  "  but  like  those  of  Demos- 
thenes, when  they  exclaimed,  '*  Let  us  go 
and  fight  the  enemy!"  One  result  of 
these  vigorous   and  impassioned  addresses 


264  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

was  that  Scottish  Christians  took  up  the 
missionary  work  with  a  generous  enthu- 
siasm, and  they  stand  distinguished  to  this 
day,  above  other  communities,  by  sending 
out  their  best  and  ablest  men  to  the  mis- 
sionary field. 

His  health  was  restored,  and  in  1839  he 
turned  his  face  once  more  to  the  land  of  his 
adoption.  But  before  he  left  he  bequeathed 
to  his  countrymen  a  volume,  under  the  title 
of  "India  and  Indian  Missions,"  which 
helped  to  keep  alive  the  deep  impression 
made  by  his  utterances,  and  gave  a  full 
and  graphic  exposition  of  the  superstitions 
and  philosophies  of  the  East.  Visiting 
•  Egypt  and  Sinai  on  his  way,  and  bringing 
the  ardour  of  a  boy,  and  the  endurance  of  a 
man,  to  back  the  culture  of  a  genial  student, 
he  wrote  home  charming  and  instructive  letters 
concerning  the  desert  and  '*  the  mysterious 
land."  There  are  few  things  in  the  language 
more  touching,  or  more  sublime,  than  the 
account  which  he  wrote  from  the  "  Top  of 
Mount  Sinai"  of  the  impressions  made  on 
his   mind   by   the    solemn    scene,    while   he 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  265 

recited  on  its  hoary  summit,  upon  a  Sabbath 
day,  the  Ten  Commandments  of  the  eternal 
God.  Having  visited  successively  the  mis- 
sions at  Bombay  and  Madras,  and  strengthened 
the  hands  of  his  brethren  in  their  work,  he 
found  himself  once  more  in  Calcutta.  The 
first  object  which  caught  his  eye  was  in  itself 
a  token  of  progress;  it  was  a  sign -board, 
on  which  were  marked  in  large  characters 
the  words  "  Ram  Lochun  Sen  and  Co., 
Surgeons  and  Druggists."  "  Not  six  years 
had  passed,"  observes  his  biographer, 
"  since  the  pseudo-orientalists  had  declared 
that  no  Hindu  would  be  found  to  study  even , 
the  rudiments  of  the  healing  art  through 
anatomy."  After  passing  the  medical  col- 
lege, the  next  strange  and  gratifying  object 
which  met  his  eye  was  a  handsome  church, 
with  Gothic  tower  and  buttresses,  and  close 
beside  it  a  commodious  parsonage.  And 
who  was  the  pastor  ?  One  of  his  own  pupils, 
formerly  a  Brahmin  of  the  highest  caste, 
next  an  educated  infidel,  then  a  humble 
student  of  the  Word  of  Life,  and  now  a 
clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England,  duly 


266  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

ordained  by  the  Bishop  of  Calcutta.  The 
large-hearted  and  catholic  spirit  of  Duff 
rejoiced  in  this,  no  less  than  it  did  in  the 
wonderful  progress  of  his  own  institution  in 
Cornwallis  Square  ;  and  what  a  change  did 
he  behold  as  he  visited  his  once  lowly  school, 
and  thought  of  its  condition  ten  years 
before. 

"Then,"  he  writes,  "the  precise  line  of 
operations  to  be  adopted  was  not  only  un- 
known, but  seemed  for  a  while  incapable  of 
being  discovered,  as  it  stretched  away  amid 
the  thickening  conflict  of  contending  diffi- 
culties ;  now  there  stood  before  me  a  visible 
pledge  and  token  that  one  grand  line  of 
operation  had  been  ascertained,  and  cleared 
of  innumerable  obstacles,  and  persevered  in 
with  a  steadfastness  of  march  which  looked 
most  promisingly  towards  the  destined  goal. 
Then  I  had  no  commission  but  either  to  hire 
a  room  for  educational  purposes  at  a  low 
rent,  or  to  erect  a  bungalow  at  a  cost  not 
exceeding  ^30  or  ^40 ;  now  there  stood 
before  me  a  plain  and  substantial,  yet 
elegant  structure,  which  cost  between^5,ooo 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  267 

and  ^6,000.  Then  it  was  a  matter  of  pain- 
ful and  delicate  uncertainty  whether  any 
respectable  native  would  attend  for  the  sake 
of  being  initiated  into  a  compound  course  of 
literary,  scientific,  and  Christian  instruction; 
How  six  hundred  or  seven  hundred  pursuing 
such  a  course  were  ready  to  hail  me  with 
welcome  congratulation.  Then  the  most 
advanced  pupils  could  only  manage  to  spell 
English  words  of  two  syllables,  without 
comprehending  their  meaning ;  now  the 
surviving  remnant  of  that  class  were  pre- 
pared to  stand  an  examination  in  English 
literature,  science,  and  Christian  theology, 
which  might  reflect  credit  on  many  who 
have  studied  seven  or  eight  years  at  one 
of  our  Scottish  colleges.  Then  the  whole 
scheme  was  not  merely  ridiculed  as  chimeri- 
cal by  the  worldly-minded,  but  as  unmission- 
ary,  if  not  unchristian,  in  its  principles  and 
tendencies  by  the  pious  conductors  of  other 
evangelizing  measures ;  now  the  mission- 
aries of  all  denominations  resident  in  Cal- 
cutta not  only  approve  of  the  scope,  design, 
and   texture   of  the  scheme,  but   have    for 


268  MODERN  HEROES   OF 

several  years  been  strenuously,  and  not 
unsuccessfully,  attempting  to  imitate  it 
to  the  utmost  extent  of  the  means  at  their 
disposal." 

Dr.  Duff  might  have  spent  the  rest  of  his 
career  in  tending  and  expanding  the  institu- 
tion which  he  had  founded,  but  the  "  Dis- 
ruption "  of  1843  brought  with  it  new  duties, 
and  almost  a  recommencement  of  his  labours. 
He  had  held  himself  apart,  both  at  home 
and  in  India,  from,  the  controversy  which 
preceded  this  cataclysm ;,  but  when  the 
announcement  reached  him  that  the  "Free 
Church  "  of  Scotland  had  sprung  into  life, 
he  took  his  side  without  a  moment's  hesita- 
tion, and,  together  with  his  colleagues,  con- 
scientiously proclaimed  himself  a  member 
of  that  body.  This  led,  of  course,  to  the 
surrender  of  the  premises  and  the  entire 
reconstruction  of  his  work.  But  the  energy 
of  Duff  was  equal  to  the  emergency,  and  the 
effect  of  the  disruption  was  to  double  the 
efficiency  of  the  mission.  A  new  church 
was  immediately  built  at  a  cost  of  ^5,000. 
On   the  very  night  before  it  was    to    have 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  269 

been  opened  for  Divine  service  it  fell.  Un- 
dismayed, the  congregation,  under  the 
guidance  of  their  pastor,  erected  another  at 
a  cost  of  ^12,000,  and  Bishop  Cotton  pro- 
nounced it  the  prettiest  church  in  Calcutta. 
Suitable  and  extensive  buildings  for  educa- 
tional work  soon  sprang  into  existence,  and 
Duff's  second  college  is  now  well  known  in 
the  city  as  the  "  Free  Church  Missionary 
Institution." 

Conversions  and  baptisms  continued,  and, 
as  a  consequence,  hostilities  began.  Duff's 
house  was  besieged  ;  he  was  cited  into  the 
courts  to  try  and  compel  him  to  the  surrender 
of  one  of  his  Christian  pupils.  The  cry  of 
*'  Hinduism  in  danger"  was  raised,  and  this 
not  only,  as  at  an  earlier  stage,  by  aristo- 
cratic Brahmins,  but  by  Mulliks  and  Seels, 
who  had  risen  from  poverty  to  wealth,  and 
who  now  called  in  the  Jesuits  to  found  a  rival 
college  where  English  would  be  taught  on 
purely  secular  lines  !  Duff' s  life  was  threatened ; 
and  then  he  addressed  a  fearless  letter  to 
the  Baboos  of  Calcutta,  in  which  he  not  only 
pleaded    for    toleration    and    liberty,    but 


270  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

pointed  out  that  persecution  would  only  serve 
the  cause  which  they  hoped  to  destroy.  The 
closing  sentences  of  that  appeal  are  worth 
recording- : — 

'*  In  the  early  ages  of  relentless  persecution 
by  the  emissaries  of  pagan  Rome,  it  passed 
into  a  proverb  that  'the  blood  of  the  martyrs 
became  the  seed  of  the  Church.'  Let  the 
Calcutta  Baboos  rest  assured  that  the  vital 
principle  involved  in  this  proverb  has  lost 
nothing  of  its  intrinsic  efficacy  or  subduing 
power.  The  first  drop  of  missionar}^  blood 
that  is  violently  shed,  in  the  peaceful  cause  of 
Indian  evangelization,  will  prove  a  prolific 
seed  in  the  outspreading  garden  of  the  Indo- 
Christian  Church.  And  the  first  actual  mis- 
sionary martyrdom  that  shall  be  encountered 
in  this  heavenly  cause  may  do  more,  under 
the  over-ruling  providence  of  God,  to  preci- 
pitate the  inevitable  doom  of  Hinduism,  and 
speed  on  the  chariot  of  Gospel  triumph,  than 
would  the  establishment  of  a  thousand  addi- 
tional Christian  schools,  or  the  delivery  of 
ten  thousand  additional  Christian  addresses, 
throughout  the  towns  of  this  mighty  empire." 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  271 

Duff  lived  down  the  opposition,  and  not 
only  continued  his  great  work  of  Christianized 
Education,  but  threw  himself  into  various 
efforts  for  the  public  good.  Now  he  is  editor 
of  the  Calcutta  Review^  and  spreading  light 
by  means  of  its  pages  throughout  the 
land ;  now  he  is  establishing  the  first  hospital 
in  Calcutta,  an  effort  which  has  since  ex- 
panded into  ten  kindred  institutions;  now  he 
is  aiding  the  Eurasians,  and  consolidating 
the  Doveton  Colleges  of  Calcutta  and 
Madras ;  now  he  is  blowing  a  trumpet-blast 
that  brings  relief  to  the  famine-stricken 
Highlanders  of  his  own  beloved  Scotland. 

In  1 849  there  was  a  strong  desire  expressed 
at  home  that  he  should  be  invited  to  occupy 
the  chair  of  Divinity,  which  had  been  vacated 
by  the  death  of  Chalmers.  The  bare  idea  of 
losing  him  created  an  intense  sensation  in 
Calcutta.  Addresses  poured  in  upon  him, 
not  only  from  European  and  native  Christians, 
but  from  Brahmins  and  Pundits,  entreating 
him  not  to  leave  them.  He  bowed  to  their 
request,  and  resolved  to  continue  in  India; 
but  his  shattered  health  obliged  him,  in  1850, 


272  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

to  revisit  his  native  land,  and  thus  for  three 
years  he  became  again  the  organizer  and 
financier  of  missionary  work  at  home — stirring 
up  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Free  Church 
(of  which  he  had  been  elected  Moderator)  by 
a  series  of  addresses  which  compare  favour- 
ably with  the  highest  achievements  of  Chris- 
tian oratory ;  visiting  England,  to  create 
amongst  all  classes  a  true  appreciation  of  the 
great  interests  which  were  involved  in  the 
approaching  renewal  of  the  East  India  Com- 
pany's Charter;  appealing  to  the  young 
men  of  London,  from  the  platform  of  Exeter 
Hall,  to  come  "to  the  help  of  the  Lord  against 
the  mighty  ;  "  and  sending  out  new  mission- 
aries to  extend  and  consolidate  the  work 
which  he  had  begun  in  India. 

It  was  during  this  period  that  he  appeared 
before  the  committees  of  the  Houses  of  Par- 
liament, often  encountering  the  keen  opposi- 
tion of  hostile  questioners,  but  giving  such 
irrefragable  evidence  as  mainly  led  to  the 
famous  Educational  Despatch  of  1854.  In- 
deed, his  "  handiwork  can  be  traced,  not 
only  in  the  definite  orders  there   conveyed, 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  273 

but  in  the  very  style  of  what  has  ever  since 
been  pronounced  the  great  educational  charter 
of  the  people  of  India."  Well  had  it  been 
for  Hindustan  if  the  principles  of  that  despatch 
had  been  fully  and  faithfully  carried  out. 
Duff,  when  he  returned  to  India,  endeavoured 
to  secure  fair  play  for  it,  and  so  long  as  his 
strong  hand  was  at  the  helm  he  was  suc- 
cessful ;  but  in  his  dying  hours  what  grieved 
him  most  was  the  departure  of  local  govern- 
ments from  its  liberal  and  self-developing 
arrangements,  and  the  growing  inclination 
of  "the  powers  that  be"  to  give  a  high 
English  education  without  religion ;  a  policy 
which,  to  use  his  own  expressive  language 
before  the  Lords,  was  at  once  "blind  and 
suicidal,"  and  the  sad  results  of  which  we 
are  already  reaping  in  the  growing  atheism 
of  young  Bengal. 

Before  returning,  for  the  third  and  last  time, 
to  India,  he  visited  America,  and  received  a 
perfect  ovation  wherever  he  appeared.  It  is 
said  that  when  he  delivered  one  of  his  mar- 
vellous orations  in  New  York,  the  vast 
audience  was  melted  into  tears  by  his  pathcs, 

18 


274  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

and  afterwards  sprang  to  their  feet  in  the 
wildness  of  their  excitement.  The  reporters 
laid  down  their  pens ;  they  might  as  well 
have  endeavoured  to  report  a  thunderstorm  ; 
and  when  the  crowds  upon  the  wharf  waved 
their  last  farewells  to  him,  they  cried  aloud, 
*'  No  such  man  has  visited  us  since  the  days 
of  Whitfield." 

He  reached  India  just  in  time  to  encounter 
the  mutiny  of  1857,  and  was  a  tower  of 
strength  to  the  Christian  Church  in  that 
fearful  crisis.  His  letters  written  on  the 
spot,  and  all  aglow  with  the  thrilling 
emotions  of  the  period,  are  a  marvel  of 
powerful  description,  calm  statesmanship, 
and  Christian  heroism.  The  Church  in  India 
was  indeed  baptized  with  blood,  but  that 
fiery  trial  proved  how  deep  and  sincere  were 
the  convictions  of  the  native  Christians ;  and 
Duff,  while  he  mourned  over  martyr-pupils, 
could  thank  God  for  their  faithfulness  even 
unto  death. 

When  the  University  of  Calcutta  was 
founded  in  1863,  the  vice-chancellorship  was 
refused  by  Sir  Charles  Trevelyan,  in  order 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  275 

that  he  might  recommend  Duff  to  that 
important  post.  His  learning  and  his 
labours  on  behalf  of  education  eminently- 
entitled  him  to  this  position  ;  but  just  then 
his  old  enemy,  dysentery,  laid  him  low,  and 
a  voice  from  home  announced  that  Dr. 
Tweedie,  the  convener  of  missions,  was 
dead,  and  that  Duff  was  wanted  at  home 
*'to  save  the  missions."  It  was  with  a  sad 
heart  the  missionary  took  his  last  farewell. 
There  is  something  deeply  pathetic  in  his 
parting  address  to  the  Bethune  Society, 
representing  as  it  did  all  the  educated  non- 
Christians  of  Bengal :  "  Wherever  I  wander, 
wherever  I  roam  ;  wherever  I  labour,  wher- 
ever I  rest,  my  heart  will  be  still  in  India. 
So  long  as  I  am  in  this  tabernacle  of  clay  I 
shall  never  cease,  if  permitted  by  a  gracious 
Providence,  to  labour  for  the  good  of  India; 
my  latest  breath  will  be  spent  in  imploring 
blessings  on  India  and  its  people.  And 
when  at  last  this  frail  mortal  body  is  con- 
signed to  the  silent  tomb,  while  I  myself 
think  that  the  only  befitting  epitaph  for  my 
tombstone  would  be,  '  Here  lies  Alexander 


276  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

Duff,  by  nature  and  practice  a  sinful  guilty 
creature,  but  saved  by  grace,  through  faith 
in  the  blood  and  righteousness  of  his  Lord 
and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ ;  '  were  it  by  others 
thought  desirable  that  any  addition  should 
be  made  to  this  sentence,  I  would  reckon  it 
my  highest  earthly  honour,  should  I  be 
deemed  worthy  of  appropriating  the  grandly 
generous  words,  already  suggested  by  the 
exuberant  kindness  of  one  of  my  oldest 
native  friends,  in  some  such  form  as  follows: 
'  By  profession,  a  missionary ;  b}^  his  life  and 
labours,  the  true  and  constant  friend  of 
India.'  Pardon  my  weakness ;  nature  is 
overcome ;  the  gush  of  feeling  is  beyond 
control ;  amid  tears  of  sadness  I  must  now 
bid  you  all  a  solemn  farewell." 

He  was  spared,  like  Hezekiah,  for  another 
fifteen  years,  and  they  were  not  idle  ones. 
He  filled  the  chair  of  Divinity  in  the  New 
College  of  Edinburgh;  he  was  chosen  to  the 
unique  honour  of  being  a  second  time 
Moderator  of  the  General  Assembly;  he 
inaugurated  new  missions  in  India,  Africa, 
and    the     East;     he    was   the    peacemaker 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  277 

wherever  his  voice  could  be  heard ;  and  at 
the  patriarchal  age  of  seventy-two,  having- 
"  served  his  own  generation  according  to 
the  will  of  God,  he  fell  on  sleep  "  on  the 
1 2th  February,  1878,  full  of  days  and  full 
of  honour. 

A  missionary,  and  much  more  than  a 
missionary,  Duff  was  a  greater  power  in 
India  than  any  of  its  statesmen.  Their  rule 
and  influence  were  generally  limited  to  some 
five  or  six  years,  and  new  men  succeeded 
them,  very  often  with  different  views  of 
policy,  and  consequently  with  enfeebled 
because  intermittent  power ;  but  from  the 
time  he  landed  at  Calcutta  in  1830,  until 
he  finally  left  it  in  1864,  he  was  an  enduring 
and  continually  operating  force. 

His  own  view  of  his  work  and  of  its  effects 
may  be  summed  up  in  the  following  pregnant 
sentences: — "As  far  as  education,  in  its 
most  comprehensive  sense,  is  concerned,  the 
whole  energy  of  my  life  has  been  devoted 
to  the  attempt  to  have  it  impregnated 
throughout  all  its  departments,  whether  of 
literature,   science,  or  philosophy,  with   the 


278  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

living  spirit  of  Christianity.  .  .  .  And  even 
though,  in  the  vast  majority  of  cases,  no 
actual  conversion  ensues,  good  unspeakable 
has  been  gained  by  multitudes,  and  seeds 
have  been  profusely  sown,  which,  when  India 
is  visited  by  the  long-expected  and  long- 
prayed-for  showers  of  grace,  will  spring  up 
with  a  sudden  and  glorious  harvest." 

This  estimate  has  been  corroborated  by 
one  who,  perhaps,  with  the  exception  of 
Duff  himself,  has  done  more  for  India,  in 
this  department  of  Christian  labour,  than  any 
of  its  benefactors. 

*'  It  was  the  special  glory  of  Alexander 
Duff,"  says  Bishop  Cotton,  "  that  arriving 
here  in  the  midst  of  a  great  intellectual 
movement  of  a  completely  atheistic  cha- 
racter, he  at  once  resolved  to  make  that 
character  Christian,  When  the  new  genera- 
tion of  Bengalees,  and  too  many,  alas!  of 
their  European  friends  and  teachers,  were 
talking  of  Christianity  as  an  obsolete  super- 
stition, soon  to  be  burnt  up  in  the  pyre 
on  which  the  creeds  of  the  Brahmin,  the 
Buddhist,     and    the     Mohammedan     were 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  279 

already  perishing,  Alexander  Duff  suddenly 
burst  upon  the  scene,  with  his  unhesi- 
tating- faith,  his  indomitable  energy,  his 
varied  erudition,  and  his  never-failing 
stream  of  fervid  eloquence,  to  teach  them 
that  the  Gospel  was  not  dead  or  sleeping, 
not  the  ally  of  ignorance  and  error,  not 
ashamed  or  unable  to  vindicate  its  claim  to 
universal  reverence;  but  that  then,  as  always, 
the  Gospel  of  Christ  was  marching  forward 
in  the  van  of  civilization,  and  that  the  Church 
of  Christ  was  still  '  the  light  of  the  world.* 
The  effect  of  his  fearless  stand  against  the 
arrogance  of  infidelity  has  lasted  to  this  day; 
and  whether  the  number  he  has  baptized 
be  small  or  great  (some  there  are  among 
them  whom  we  all  know  and  honour),  it  is 
quite  certain  that  the  work  which  he  did  in 
India  can  never  be  undone,  unless  we, 
whom  he  leaves  behind,  are  faithless  to  his 
example." 

*'Rest  from  thy  labour,  rest, 
Soul  of  the  just  set  free  ! 
Blest  be  thy  memory,  and  blest 
Thy  bright  example  be. 


28o       HEROES   OF  THE  MISSION  FIELD. 

"  Faith,  perseverance,  zeal, 

Language  of  light  and  power, 
Love,  prompt  to  act  and  quick  to  feel 
Mark'd  thee  till  life's  last  hour. 

"  Now  toil  and  conflict  o'er. 

Go  take  with  saints  thy  place  ! 
But  go  as  each  has  gone  before, 
A  sinner  saved  by  grace." 


XI. 

DAVID  LIVINGSTONE.    AFRICA,  1840— 1873. 

"  God  has  taken  away  the  greatest  man  of 
his  generation;"  so  wrote  Florence  Nightin- 
gale, the  gentlest  and  best  of  women,  when 
she  heard  of  the  death  of  the  great  mission- 
ary explorer.  "  Of  his  character,"  writes 
a  great  statesman  (than  whom  no  one  had 
fuller  or  better  opportunities  of  judging),  *'  it 
is  difficult  for  those  who  knew  him  intimately 
to  speak  without  appearance  of  exaggera- 
tion." A  mourning  nation  has  gone  a  good 
way  towards  endorsing  these  verdicts,  and  has 
given  his  last  remains  a  sepulture  amongst 
her  kings.  His  fame  was  so  world-wide 
that  other  countries  seemed  to  understand 
him  even  better  than  his  own,  and  not  to 
love  him  less.  To  omit  the  name  of  such  a 
man  from  these  brief  sketches  of  missionary 


282  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

heroes  would  be  impossible;  and  yet  the 
vastness  and  variety  of  his  work,  and  the  fact 
that  concerning  him  so  much  has  been 
written,  and  so  recently,  render  it  a  difficult 
task.  We  must  content  ourselves  with 
glancing  at  the  more  important  features  of  a 
life  and  character  which  most  of  our  readers 
have  already  studied  in  detail. 

Like  Duff,  he  was  a  Scotchman,  and 
sprang  from  the  ranks  of  the  people.  It  is 
well  known  how  at  ten  years  of  age  he 
earned  his  bread,  and  helped  to  support  the 
family,  as  a  '^piecer  "  in  the  cotton  works  of 
Blantyre,  and  how  he  contrived,  during  the 
long  day's  toil  in  the  factory,  to  place  his 
book  on  the  spinning-jenny,  and  to  pursue  his 
studies  amidst  the  roar  of  the  machinery. 
His  first  week's  wages  were  devoted  to  the 
purchase  of  the  "  Latin  Rudiments,"  and  he 
spent  his  evenings,  and  often  a  portion  of  his 
nights,  in  acquiring  that  language.  "  He 
could  play  and  rollick,"  says  his  father-in- 
law,  "  like  other  boys,  but  with  a  growing 
thirst  for  knowledge."  Books  of  travel  and 
of  science  were  his  delight ;  and  when  a  rare 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  283 

half-holiday  came  round,  he  was  sure  to  be 
off  to  the  quarries  to  collect  geological  speci- 
mens, or  away  by  the  hedgerows  to  gather 
herbs  and  flowers  ;  for  he  had  early  formed 
the  opinion  that  a  good  herbalist  had  in  his 
hands  the  panacea  for  all  bodily  diseases. 

He  was  religiously  brought  up ;  and  he 
tells  us,  with  that  quiet  humour  which  never 
deserted  him,  that  his  last  flogging  was  re- 
ceived for  refusing  to  read  Wilberforce's 
"Practical  Christianity."  It  is  plain,  how- 
ever, that  the  pious  example  of  his  parents, 
in  a  poor  but  happy  home,  was  his  best  in- 
struction, and  laid  the  foundation  for  that 
eminently  practical  Christianity  which  he  so 
thoroughly  understood  and  so  fully  exem- 
plified. It  was  at  the  age  of  twenty,  however, 
that  the  crisis  of  his  spiritual  history  took 
place ;  and  he  attributes  it  chiefly  to  the 
reading  of  Dicks'  "  Philosophy  of  a  Future 
State."  From  that  time  his  whole  heart  was 
given  to  God.  There  is  a  touching  entry  in 
his  journal,  written  upon  the  last  birthday 
but  one  of  his  eventful  life,  and  it  reveals  at 
once  the  motive  and  the  earnestness  of  his 


284  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

whole  career:  "My  Jesus,  my  King,  my 
Life,  my  All,  I  again  dedicate  my  whole  self 
to  Thee." 

He  had  heard  of  missions  from  his  child- 
hood, and  had  always  been  deeply  interested 
in  them ;  but  it  was  an  appeal  on  behalf  of 
China,  issued  by  the  famous  Dr.  Gutzlaff, 
which  inspired  him  with  the  desire  to  become 
himself  a  missionary.  "  The  claims  of  so 
many  millions  of  his  fellow-creatures,  and  the 
complaints  of  the  want  of  qualified  men  to 
undertake  the  task," — these,  as  he  informs  us, 
were  the  motives  which  led  him,  at  the  age 
of  twenty-one,  to  the  high  resolve ;  and 
henceforth  his  "  efforts  were  constantly 
directed  towards  that  object  without  any 
fluctuation."  The  idea  of  medical  missions 
was  then  comparatively  new;  but  Living- 
stone felt  that,  more  especially  in  connection 
with  work  for  God  in  China,  they  were  indis- 
pensable, so  he  resolved  to  qualify  himself 
to  the  utmost ;  and  by  saving  something  out 
of  his  summer  earnings  at  the  mill,  he  was 
able  to  pay  for  his  medical  and  Greek  classes 
at  Glasgow  University  during  the  winter,  and 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  285 

at   the    same    time    to   attend    lectures    in 
theology. 

"The  land  of  Sinim,"  however,  was  not 
the  field  which  the  great  Head  of  the  Church 
had  designed  for  him.  Just  as  Morrison, 
who  had  set  his  heart  upon  Africa,  was  led 
by  an  all-wise  Providence  to  fill  a  sphere 
more  suited  to  him  in  China,  so  Livingstone, 
wnose  earliest  predilections  were  for  China, 
was  led  by  the  same  gracious  hand  to  give 
his  life  to  Africa,  and  to  find  there  the  very 
position  for  which  both  nature  and  grace  had 
so  eminently  qualified  him.  He  had  offered 
himself  to  the  London  Missionary  Society, 
and  was  well-nigh  rejected  on  account  of  his 
hesitating  manner  and  lack  of  ready  speech. 
Fortunately  for  the  world,  the  adverse  deci 
slon  was  suspended,  and  another  session 
brought  out  his  noble  character  and  vast 
capacities.  But  his  prospect  of  going  to 
China  was  interrupted  by  the  Opium  War, 
and  just  at  this  juncture  a  veteran  mis- 
sionary (who  would  have  found  a  promi- 
nent niche  in  these  sketches,  only  that 
they  are  confined  to  the  deeds  of  departed 


286  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

worthies)  appeared  upon  the  scene,  and 
determined  the  destination  of  the  student. 
This  was  Robert  Moffat,  who,  after  three- 
and-twenty  years  of  labour  in  South  Africa, 
was  thrilHng  the  heart  of  England  with  the 
story  of  his  labours  and  adventures.  He 
fired  the  soul  of  his  young  countryman  with 
a  desire  to  explore  and  evangelize  that  mys- 
terious land,  with  which  both  of  their  names 
will  ever  be  identified.  Indeed,  it  has  been 
well  said  that  if  any  heroes  of  modern  times 
might  be  permitted  to  adopt  the  grand  old 
agnomen  of  "Africanus,"  Robert  Moffat  and 
David  Livingstone,  who  soon  became  his 
fellow-labourer  and  son-in-law,  would  be  the 
men. 

We  are  indebted  to  Professor  Blackie  for  a 
biography  of  our  hero,  which  gives  the  world 
a  deeper  insight  into  his  inner  and  social  life 
than  could  be  obtained  from  his  own  official 
journals.  These  latter  are  generally  marked 
by  that  characteristic  reticence  which  caused 
him  to  conceal  from  the  public  gaze  all  that 
was  best  and  noblest  in  his  nature.  It  is 
only  from  his  private  letters,  to  his  nearest 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  287 

and  dearest  ones,  that  we  get  the  full  por- 
traiture of  a  man  who  was  as  gentle  as  he 
was  resolute,  and  as  loving  as  he  was  strong. 
The  account  of  his  last  evening  in  the  old 
homestead  is  touching  in  its  simplicity:  "  A 
single  night  was  all  that  he  could  spend  with 
his  family ;  and  they  had  so  much  to  speak 
of,  that  David  proposed  they  should  sit 
up  all  night.  This,  however,  his  mother 
would  not  hear  of.  '  I  remember  my  father 
and  him,'  writes  his  sister,  '  talking  over  the 
prospects  of  Christian  missions.  They  agreed 
that  the  time  would  come,  when  rich  men 
and  great  men  would  think  it  an  honour  to 
support  whole  stations  of  missionaries,  instead 
of  spending  their  money  on  hounds  and 
horses.  On  the  morning  of  the  17  th  Novem- 
ber, 1840,  we  got  up  at  five  o'clock.  My 
mother  made  coffee.  David  read  the  121st 
and  1 3  5  th  Psalms  and  prayed.  My  father  and 
he  walked  to  Glasgow  to  catch  the  Liverpool 
steamer.'  On  the  Broomielaw,  father  and 
son  looked  for  the  last  time  on  each  other's 
faces.  The  old  man  walked  slowly  back  to 
^lantyre,  with  a  lonely  heart  no  doubt,  yet 


288  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

praising  God.     David's  face  was  now  set  in 
earnest  toward  the  dark  Continent." 

His  first  nine  years  in  Africa  were  spent 
chiefly  amongst  the  Bechuanas,  nine  hun- 
dred miles  from  Cape  Town.  Here,  with 
unwearied  earnestness,  he  laboured  for  the 
evangelization  of  these  uncivilized  and  rude 
barbarians.  Here,  too,  he  endeavoured  to 
instruct  them  in  useful  arts ;  and,  after  the 
example  of  mediaeval  missionaries,  he 
laboured  as  a  mechanic  no  less  than  as  a 
preacher.  At  Kolobeng  we  find  him  help- 
ing to  make  a  canal,  preparing  a  garden, 
and  building  his  fourth  house  with  his  own 
hands.  Moffat  had  taught  him  how  to  work 
in  iron  and  steel,  while  at  the  same  time  he 
became  expert  in  carpentry  and  other  trades. 
His  devoted  wife  (Mary  Moffat)  made  the 
butter,  soap,  candles,  and  clothes,  instructed 
her  infant-school,  and  taught  the  women 
to  sing  the  hymns  which  her  husband  had 
translated.  They  had  their  privations  and 
trials,  and  often  lived  ''  from  hand  to 
mouth; ''  but  theirs  was  in  the  truest  sense 
a  happy  life.     As  he  reviews  this  part  of  his 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  289 

African  career,  he  finds  but  one  cause  of 
regret,  namely,  that  he  did  not  devote  more 
time  to  playing  with  his  children;  "but," 
he  adds,  "  I  was  generally  so  exhausted  by 
the  mental  and  manual  labour  of  the  day 
that  in  the  evening  there  was  no  fun  left  in 
me."  How  touching  are  the  lines  which 
in  after  years,  when  he  was  separated  from 
his  family,  were  ever  ringing  in  his  ears, — 

"  I  shall  look  into  your  faces,  and  listen  to  what  you  say, 
And  be  often  very  near  you  when  you  think  I'm  far 
away." 

It  was  during  this  period  he  had  that 
famous  encounter  with  the  lion,  which  is 
known  to  nearly  all  who  have  heard  his 
name  ;  but  concerning  which  he  wrote  home 
thus  characteristically  to  his  father;  "I  hope 
I  shall  not  forget  His  mercy.  .  .  .  Do  not 
mention  this  to  any  one.  I  do  not  like  to  be 
talked  about."  Livingstone's  life  was  saved 
almost  by  a  miracle,  but  the  left  arm,  which 
was  crunched  by  the  lion's  teeth,  was  maimed 
for  life,  and  the  fracture  entailed  much  pain 
and  suffering  to  his  latest  days.     It  is  well 

19 


290  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

known  that  it  was  by  the  false  joint  in  that 
broken  limb  that  his  body  was  identified, 
when  brought  home  to  England  by  his 
faithful  followers ;  but  the  interesting  fact 
is  not  generally  known  that  Mebalwe,  who 
saved  his  life,  was  one  of  the  native  teachers 
whom  he  himself  had  trained,  and  that  it  was 
a  Christian  lady  in  Scotland  who  contri- 
buted the  money  for  this  catechist's  mainte- 
nance. How  little  did  she  dream  that  the 
twelve  pounds,  which  she  had  sent  to 
Livingstone  for  that  purpose,  would  be  the 
means  of  preserving  to  Africa  for  thirty 
years  the  life  of  its  greatest  benefactor ! 

The  firstfruits  of  Livingstone's  missionary 
labour  in  this  region  was  the  conversion  of 
Sechele,  a  chieftain  of  extraordinary  energy, 
who  was  soon  able  to  read  the  Bible  in  his 
own  language,  and  to  conduct  his  own 
family  worship.  Sechele,  transformed  in 
feelings,  dress,  and  manners,  used  all  his 
influence  to  induce  his  people  to  follow  his 
example,  but  without  much  success.  Living- 
stone, however,  had  laid  a  good  founda- 
tion, as    the   results   have   proved.     •'  That 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  291 

mission,"  says  Dr.  Moffat,  writing  in  1874, 
'*  is  the  most  prosperous,  extensive,  and 
influential  of  all  our  missions  in  the  Bech- 
uana  country." 

Livingstone  now  entered  upon  the  special 
career  which  has  made  his  name  so  famous, 
namely,  that  of  a  missionary  explorer. 
Many  considerations  led  him  to  the  con- 
scientious belief  that  this  was  the  path 
peculiarly  assigned  to  him  by  Providence. 
The  oppressions  practised  by  the  Boers  of 
the  Cashan  Mountains  upon  the  Bakwains 
first  awakened  his  attention  to  the  evils  of 
the  slave  trade,  and  he  longed  to  see  it 
crushed  out  by  Christianity  and  lawful  traffic. 
He  conceived  it  to  be  the  duty  of  the 
missionary,  when  he  had  fully  published  the 
Gospel  to  any  people,  to  press  forward  and 
make  it  known  to  those  who  had  never  heard 
it.  His  heart  yearned  over  the  countless 
millions  who  must  be  living  in  the  interior 
of  that  vast  unexplored  continent,  and  who 
had  never  yet  been  visited  by  the  messenger 
of  peace.  He  felt,  moreover,  that  God  had 
given  him  peculiar  talents  for  this  work,  and 


292  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

that  it  was  his  duty  to  employ  them  in  the 
way  most  likely  to  advance  the  great  cause 
which  he  had  at  heart.  Writing  to  a  friend 
at  this  time,  he  tells  him  about  "  the  tsetse, 
the  fever,  the  north  wind,  and  other  African 
notabilia"  ;  but  these  and  many  other  inter- 
esting points  of  information  are  followed 
up  by  the  significant  question,  "  Who  shall 
penetrate  through  Africa  ?  " 

Livingstone  himself  was  to  be  the  answer 
to  this  question  ;  and  he  offered  himself  and 
all  that  was  dearest  to  him — home,  prospects, 
honours,  Christian  intercourse — as  a  willing 
sacrifice  upon  the  missionary  altar.  It  would 
be  a  great  mistake  to  think  that  the  mere 
Joy^^ofjejiploratian_and_a^ye^  or  even 

the  fame  that  might  possibly  accrue  from 
them,  were  sufficient  to  influence  a  mind  like 
his.  When  he  had  achieved  his  greatest 
reputation  as  a  discoverer,  he  expressed  the 
honest  feeling  of  his  heart,  in  reminding  those 
who  had  conferred  distinctions  upon  him, 
that  "where  the  geographical  feat  ends, 
there  the  missionary  work  begins." 

We  can  only  summarize  the  story  of  those 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  293 

wonderful  journeyings,  which  revealed  to  us, 
for  the  first  time,  the  teeming  populations  and 
boundless  resources  of  Central  Africa.  Pre- 
vious to  his  time  the  charts  of  this  vast 
region  presented  nothing  but  a  blank.  To 
use  the  quaint  words  of  Dean  Swift — 

"  Geographers  in  Afric's  maps 
Put  savage  beasts  to  fill  up  gaps. 
And  o'er  inhabitable  downs 
Put  elephants  for  want  of  towns." 

What  a  change,  and  what  a  revelation ! 
What  bright  hopes  and  prospects  for  com- 
merce, civilization,  and  Christianity,  have 
sprung  up  in  that  benighted  land  since  the 
dauntless  explorer  unlocked  the  door,  and 
opened  it  wide  to  the  traveller,  the  merchant, 
and  the  missionary ! 

The  natives  had  often  spoken  to  him  of  a 
lake  which  they  called  Ngami ;  and  in  June, 
1849,  he  set  out,  with  Messrs.  Oswald  and 
Murray,  with  the  hope  of  discovering  it. 
Skirting  by  the  great  Kalahari  desert,  he 
pursued  his  way,  and  on  the  ist  of  August 
had  the  satisfaction  of  being  the  first  white 
man  to  see  that  now  famous  lake.     Finding 


294  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

that  region  Insalubrious,  he  undertook  (in 
the  year  1850)  another  expedition.  On  this 
occasion  he  carried  his  wife  and  children 
with  him  to  the  Makololo  country,  where  he 
made  what  was  perhaps  the  most  fruitful  of 
all  his  discoveries — that  of  the  great  river 
Zambesi,  flowing  in  the  very  centre  of  the 
continent,  with  its  majestic  reaches  and  its 
*' smoke-resounding "  falls.  His  eyes 
gladdened  as  he  gazed  upon  this  unexpected 
highway  for  future  commerce  ;  for  he  saw  in 
it  a  providential  aid  towards  the  extinction  of 
that  accursed  traffic  in  human  flesh  and  blood, 
which  met  him  everywhere,  and  which  made 
his  very  heart  to  bleed. 

But  what  was  to  be  the  outlet  for  that 
commerce,  and  how  was  he  to  obtain  the  best 
and  shortest  route  to  the  coast  ?  These  were 
questions  which  forced  themselves  upon  his 
consideration  ;  for  the  southern  Boers  had 
invaded  the  Bechuana  country,  pillaged  his 
old  settlement  at  Kolobeng,  and  broken  up 
the  organization  which  had  cost  him  so  many 
years  of  labour.  His  resolution  was  prompt 
and  decisive.     He  carried  his  family  back  to 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  29S 

Capetown  (where  it  was  observed  that  his 
coat  was  eleven  years  behind  the  fashion), 
despatched  them  to  England,  and  then 
started  on  that  arduous  journey  which  led 
him  from  Linyanti,  in  the  very  centre  of 
Africa,  to  Loando  St.  Paul,  on  its  western 
shores.  He  found,  however,  that  that  port 
was  too  distant,  and  too  difficult  for  con- 
venient access,  and  that  it  was  moreover  too 
nearly  connected  with  the  slave  trade  to 
answer  his  purpose ;  so  he  retraced  his  steps, 
and  travelled  right  across  the  vast  continent 
to  the  mouths  of  the  Zambesi  on  the  eastern 
coast. 

This  perilous  journey  occupied  four  years, 
and  never  did  a  body  of  men  voluntarily  set 
out  on  such  a  serious  undertaking  with  so 
spare  an  outfit.  For  himself  and  his  twenty- 
seven  black  companions  the  stock  of  provisions 
consisted  of  a  few  biscuits,  a  few  pounds  of 
tea  and  sugar,  and  about  twenty  pounds  of 
coffee.  The  supply  of  clothing  was  equally 
scanty,  and  the  money-chest  contained  only 
twenty  pounds  of  beads,  worth  about  forty 
shillings.     Three    muskets    for   his   people, 


296  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

with   a   rifle   and   double-barrelled  smooth- 
bore for  himself,  were  all  the  firearms  which 
the  intrepid  traveller  took  with  him,  although 
on  these  and  on  their  ammunition  mainly  de- 
pended  their   supplies  of  food.     *'  I  had  a 
secret    conviction,"    observes    Livingstone, 
**that  if  I  did  not  succeed,  it  would  not  be  for 
the   lack   of  nicknacks,    but    from   want  of 
*  pluck,'  or  because  a  large  array  of  baggage 
excited   the   cupidity  of  the  tribes   through 
whose   country  we   wished   to   pass."     His 
tact  and  his  fearlessness  carried  him  safely 
through  many  a  danger  amidst  hostile  tribes, 
whilst  his  justice,  and  his  kindliness,  and  his 
truth  endeared  him  to  his  swarthy  followers. 
The   latter   always   spoke   of   him   as  their 
"  Father,"  while  many  of  the  former  came  to 
regard  him  as  a  god.     He  was  ready  at  any 
moment  to  endure  any  sacrifice,  or  to  brave 
any  danger,  if  only  he  could  save  a  life,  or 
soothe   a   sorrowing   heart.      A   messenger 
arrived  one  night,  and  told  how  a  native  had 
been  attacked  by  a  rhinoceros,  and  ripped 
open.     Livingstone,  in  order  to  relieve  the 
wounded  sufferer,  started  immediately,  and 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  297 

forced  his  way  for  ten  miles  through  tangled 
brake  and  thicket,  amidst  the  midnight  dark- 
ness, despite  the  risk  of  a  like  fate  await- 
ing himself  at  any  moment.  Such  was  his 
philanthropy  ;  but  better  and  nobler  still  was 
that  love  of  souls  which  led  him  evermore 
to  make  known  to  all  men  the  message  of 
redeeming  love.  His  simple  sermons,  his 
earnest  prayers,  and  his  Sunday  services 
marked  him  everywhere  as  "the  man  of 
God." 

In  1856,  preceded  by  the  fame  of  his 
discoveries,  he  revisited  his  native  land. 
The  enthusiastic  welcome  and  the  triumphal 
honours  that  awaited  him  might  well  have 
spoiled  a  less  noble  spirit-  But  if  Living- 
stone had  his  failings,  the  love  of  popularity 
was  not  one  of  them.  He  was  character- 
istically humble..  When  a  great  man  once 
expressed  admiration  at  his  wonderful 
achievements,  he  simply  replied,  "  They  are 
not  wonderful;  it  was  only  what  any  one 
else  could  do  that  had  the  will."  His  one 
thought  was-  for  Africa — "Poor,  enslaved 
Africa,"  as  he  was  wont  to  say,  "  when  are 


298  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

thy  bleeding  wounds  to  be  healed  ? " 
Wherever  he  went  he  tried  to  deepen  the 
national  interest  on  behalf  of  his  adopted 
country.  To  this  end  he  appealed  to  the 
Geographical  Society  v/ith  respect  to  its 
exploration,  and  to  our  leading  statesmen 
with  reference  to  the  suppression  of  its 
slave  trade.  He  aroused  the  Universities 
to  its  claims  upon  their  intellectual  powers, 
and  the  Churches  to  its  demands  upon 
their  Christian  charity.  With  the  same 
object  in  view,  he  sat  down  and  wrote  his 
*'  Missionary  Travels,"  which  was  a  kind 
of  employment  so  distasteful  to  him  that  he 
says  in  the  preface,  "  I  would  rather  cross 
the  African  continent  again  than  undertake 
to  write  another  book  !  " 

He  had  told  his  faithful  followers  in  Africa 
that  nothing  but  death  would  keep  him  from 
returning  to  them,  and  he  kept  his  word. 
In  1858  he  started  on  his  second  great 
expedition  to  explore  the  Zambesi.  On  this 
occasion  he  went  forth  under  a  Government 
commission,  with  a  regular  staff  of  assist- 
ants, and  with  a  small  steamer  called  the 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  299 

Ma  Robert.,  which  was  Mrs.  Livingstone's 
African  name ;  but  this  expedition  cost  him 
more  anxiety  and  pain  than  all  his  previous 
journeyings.  Good  Bishop  Mackenzie,  who 
had  gone  out  in  connection  with  the  Uni- 
versities' mission,  and  had  joined  Living- 
stone in  his  explorations,  fell  a  victim  to 
the  climate ;  several  other  members  of  the 
mission  shared  a  like  fate ;  and,  saddest  of 
all,  Mrs.  Livingstone,  who  had  joined  her 
husband,  was  also  taken  from  his  side,  27th 
April,  1862.  They  had  been  only  three 
short  months  together,  after  four  years' 
separation.  Two  days  after  her  death  he 
wrote  to  Sir  Roderick  Murchison  :  ''  This 
heavy  stroke  quite  takes  the  heart  out  of 
me.  ...  1  married  her  for  love,  and  the  longer 
I  lived  with  her  I  loved  her  the  more.  ...  I 
try  to  bend  to  the  blow  as  from  our 
heavenly  Father.  ...  I  shall  do  my  duty 
still ;  but  it  is  with  a  darkened  horizon  that 
I  set  about  it." 

This  second  expedition  resulted  in  the 
discovery  of  Lake  Shirwa  and  Lake  Nyassa, 
and  tended  materially  towards  the  suppres- 


300  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

sion  of  the  slave  trade,  by  revealing  Its 
enormities,  and  the  awful  destruction  of 
human  life  which  it  involved  at  the  hands 
of  the  Arab  and  Portuguese  traders.  "  I 
sometimes  fear,"  says  Livingstone,  "that 
my  statements,  which  are  within  the  truth, 
may  be  looked  on  as  exaggerations ;  but 
the  facts  cannot  be  overstated.  We  saw 
three  instances  of  bodies  tied  to  trees,  the 
hands  fastened  behind  to  the  tree,  and  a 
strong  thong,  round  the  neck,  to  the  same 
tree  keeps  the  body  in  a  sitting  posture  even 
after  death.  This  is  the  way  in  which 
these  vile  half-caste  Arabs  vent  their  spleen 
when  a  slave  is  no  longer  able  to  walk — 
vexed  at  losing  their  money,  they  secure 
their  death.  ...  It  is  quite  a  relief  to  get  out 
of  the  beat  of  slave-dealers ;  they  glut  the 
market  with  calico  and  gunpowder,  and 
send  one  tribe  to  plunder  and  destroy 
another."  It  was  thus  that  he  gave  a  voice 
to  the  silent  agonies  of  Africa,  and  made 
that  voice  to  be  heard  throughout  the 
civilized  world ;  nor,,  when  he  had  the  oppor- 
tunity, did  he  hesita^te  to  take  the  law  into 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  301 

his  own  hands,  and  to  strike  the  fetters  from 
the  limbs  of  the  bleeding  slave. 

He  had  shed  his  last  bitter  tears  beside 
Ma  Robertas  grave,  and  was  about  to  launch 
his  steamer,  the  Lady  Nyassa,  on  which  he  had 
expended  ^6,000  of  his  own  money,  when, 
owing  to  political  and  financial  reasons,  the 
expedition  was  recalled  by  our  Government. 
He  resolved  to  sail  to  India  and  sell  his  ship 
before  he  returned  home.  The  Portuguese 
would  have  bought  her,  in  order  to  use  her 
as  a  slaver ;  "  but,"  writes  Livingstone, 
*'  I  would  rather  see  her  go  down  to  the 
depths  of  the  Indian  Ocean  than  that."  His 
engineer  left  him,  so  he  had  to  turn  skipper 
himself,  and  to  navigate  his  vessel  from 
Zanzibar  to  Bombay,  a  distance  of  2,500 
miles,  amidst  alternate  squalls  and  calms, 
with  no  other  aid  but  that  of  three  Europeans 
and  seven  natives,  most  of  whom  were 
disabled  by  illness  during  the  voyage.  But 
he  reached  Bombay,  where  he  sold  his  ship 
for  one-third  of  what  she  had  cost  him,  and 
then  sailed  for  England. 

He  did  not  tarry  longer  amid  the  luxuries 


302  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

of  home  than  to  write  his  second  volume, 
*'  The  Zambesi  and  its  Tributaries."  His 
heart  was  in  Africa;  and  when  the  Geo- 
graphical Society  proposed  to  him  to  go 
out  and  discover  the  great  watersheds 
of  Central  Africa,  and  settle  the  long- 
disputed  question  of  the  sources  of  the  Nile, 
he  at  cnce  responded  to  the  call ;  but  to  his 
honour  be  it  spoken,  that  when  they  wished 
him  to  go  forth  "unshackled  bya,ny  other 
occupation,"  he  nobly  replied,  "  I  can  only 
feel  in  the  way  of  duty  by  worki^ng  as  a 
missionary."  His  last  public  words  in  his 
native  Scotland  will  be  long  remembered  as 
the  epitome  of  his  own  life  :  '*  Fear  God  and 
work  hard."  And  so  he  set  forth  in  1865 
upon  his  third  journey,  not  without  fore- 
bodings that  it  would  prove  to  be  his  last. 
"  I  set  out  on  this  journey,"  he  writes, 
**  with  a  strong  presentiment  that  I  should 
never  finish  it.  The  feeling  did  not  interfere 
with  me  in  reference  to  my  duty;  but  it 
made  me  think  a  great  deal  of  the  future 
state,  and  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
possibly  the  change  is  not  so  great  as  we 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  303 

have  usually  believed.  The  appearances  of 
Him  who  is  all  in  all  to  us  were  especially 
human ;  and  the  Prophet  whom  St.  John 
wanted  to  worship  had  work  to  do,  just  as 
we  have,  and  did  it." 

Taking  Bombay  in  his  way,  he  obtained 
from  the  missionary  school  at  Nassik  some  of 
those  young  liberated  slaves,  whose  fidelity 
to  their  master,  in  life  and  death,  have 
won  for  them  the  admiration  of  the  world. 
Eight  of  them  volunteered  for  the  service ; 
and  these  were  supplemented  at  Zanzibar 
by  some  Johannamen  and  Sepoys ;  the 
former  were  thieves,  and  the  latter  proved 
to  be  so  intolerable  that  he  soon  dismissed 
them.  The  party  dived  into  the  depths  of 
the  unknown  continent,  and  were  lost  to  the 
cognizance  of  the  outer  world.  Anxious 
months  of  expectation  passed  by,  and  no 
tidings  concerning  them  arrived.  At  length 
one  of  the  Johannamen  arrived  at  Zanzibar, 
with  circumstantial  news  that  Livingstone 
had  been  murdered  on  the  shores  of  Lake 
Nyassa.  The  story  was  only  half  credited 
in  England,  and  the  painful  suspense  was 


304  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

at  length  relieved  In   1868  by  letters  from 
the     missionary     himself,   telling    how   the 
Johannamen  had  deserted  him,  but  how  he 
had  made  the  important  discoveries  of  Lake 
Tanganyka  and  Lake  Bangweolo.     On  May 
30th,    1869,  he   wrote  again   from  Ujiji;   it 
was  the  last  intelligence  received  from  him 
up  to  July  1872,  and  it  told  a  tale  of  suffer- 
ing and  illness,  but  yet  of  unconquerable 
resolution.     He    was  without    medicine  or 
suitable  food;    suffering   from   hemorrhage, 
and  scarcely  able  to   walk  from  weakness  ; 
whilst  a  war  that  was  raging  near  him  cut 
off  both  communication    and  supplies ;  but 
he  makes  little  of  his  deprivations,  and  with 
a  touch  of  his  old  humour  he  writes  to  his 
daughter  Agnes  :  "  I  broke  my  teeth  tearing 
at  maize  and  other  hard  food,  and  they  are 
coming  out.     One  front  tooth  is  out,  and  I 
have  such  an   awful  mouth.     If  you  expect 
a  kiss  from  me,  you  must  take  it  through  a 
speaking  trumpet"  ;   and  again,  ''the    few 
teeth  that  remain  are  out  of  line,  so  that  my 
smile  is  that  of  a  hippopotamus." 

After  this  he  pushed  on  into  the  Manyuema 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  305 

country,  with  the  determination  of  examining 
the  Lualaha  river,  and  setthng-  the  question 
of  the  watershed.  All  kinds  of  difficulties 
surrounded  him ;  massacres  and  atrocities 
were  of  frequent  occurrence ;  most  of  his 
followers  failed  him  ;  the  Arab  slave-dealers 
bullied  and  thwarted  him ;  his  feet  were 
lacerated  by  hard  travel,  and  his  strength 
exhausted  by  fever  and  dysentery.  On  one 
occasion  he  narrowly  escaped  death  three 
times  in  a  single  day.  Then  we  find  him 
confined  to  his  hut  for  eighty  days, 
"harrowed  by  the  wickedness  he  could  not 
stop,  extracting  information  from  the  natives, 
thinking  about  the  fountains  of  the  Nile, 
trying  to  do  some  good  among  the  people, 
.  .  .  and  last,  not  least,  studying  his  Bible, 
which  he  read  four  times  over  whilst  he  was 
in  this  region."  Everything  seemed  to  be 
against  him  ;  no  news  from  home  or  country 
came  to  cheer  him  ;  but  the  brave  spirit  of 
patient  faith  could  not  be  quenched.  "  All," 
said  he,  "  will  turn  out  right  at  the  last." 
"  I  commit  myself  to  the  Almighty  Disposer 
of  events,  and  if  I   fall,  will  do  so  doing  my 

20 


3o6  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

duty,     like     one     of     His      stout-hearted 
servants." 

He  returned  to  Ujiji,  the  3rd  of  October, 
1871,  "a  mere  ruckle  of  bones,"  to  find 
that  his  goods  had  been  plundered,  and  he 
himself  beggared  in  his  absence.  Truly  he 
had  fallen  amongst  thieves  who  had  stripped 
him,  and  he  was  half  dead  ;  but  who  was 
to  be  the  good  Samaritan  who,  three  days 
later,  should  unexpectedly  pour  oil  and  wine 
into  his  bleeding  wounds  ?  The  story  of 
his  discovery  and  relief  by  Stanley  are  too 
well  known  to  be  repeated  here.  Statesmen 
and  scientific  societies  in  England  seemed 
to  have  passed  by  on  the  other  side ;  and 
to  the  intrepid  young  American  belongs  the 
honour  of  having  preserved  a  little  longer 
that  invaluable  life.  Restored  to  compar- 
ative health  and  energy,  Livingstone  was  en- 
treated by  his  deliverer  to  return  with  him  ; 
but,  though  he  had  not  seen  a  white  man 
for  six  years,  and  yearned  after  home,  he 
steadfastly  refused.  His  heart  was  set 
upon  solving  the  problem  of  the  Nile,  not 
so  much,  as  he  again  and  again  assures  us, 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  307 

for  the  sake  of  the  discovery,  as  from  the 
conviction  that  it  would  give  weight  to  his 
pleadings  on  behalf  of  down-trodden  and 
enslaved  Africa.  His  impressions  about  the 
sources  of  the  Nile  were  that  they  were  far 
higher  than  any  previous  traveller  had 
supposed,  and  in  this,  though  he  did  not 
live  to  know  it,  he  proved  to  be  mistaken ; 
but  the  great  object  on  which  he  had  set 
his  heart  was  eventually  realized.  He  had  I 
said  In  his  parting  lectures  at  Bombay,  I 
"  Perhaps  God  in  His  providence  will  arrest 
the  attention  of  the  world  to  this  hideous 
traffic  by  some  unlooked-for  means ;  "  and 
amongst  the  last  words  he  wrote  were  these:  ^ 
*'  I  would  forget  all  my  cold,  hunger,  suffer- 
ing, and  toils,  if  I  could  be  the  means  of 
putting  a  stop  to  this  cursed  traffic." 

The  end  was  drawing  near,  and  his  death 
was  to  be  the  means  of  awakening  more 
attention  to  the  subject  than  his  life  had 
ever  done ;  for  his  last  words,  now  deeply 
graven  upon  his  tomb,  became  still  more 
deeply  engraven  on  the  nation's  heart:  "All 
lean  say  in  my  solitude  Is,  may  Heaven's 


3o8  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

rich  blessing  come  down  on  every  one — 
American,  English,  Turk — who  will  help  to 
heal   this  open  sore  of  the  world." 

Stanley  had  left  him,  and  sent  up  supplies 
and  men  from  the  coast ;  amongst  the  latter 
were  some  more  pupils  from  the  Nassik 
School.  No  sooner  had  they  arrived  than 
he  set  out  once  more  for  Tanganyika  and 
Bangweolo.  The  pathway  lay  through  deep 
morasses  and  flooded  rivers,  and  amidst 
incessant  rains.  The  natives  proved  un- 
friendly ;  hunger  frequently  assailed  the 
party ;  his  illness  returned,  and  any  but  an 
iron  frame  would  have  succumbed  at  once ; 
but  he  bore  up  bravely,  and,  as  his  journals 
prove,  his  faith  remained  unshaken.  "  No- 
thing earthly  will  make  me  give  up  my 
work  in  despair.  I  encourage  myself  in 
the  Lord  my  God,  and  go  forward."  He 
pursued  his  investigations,  but  at  length 
the  strong  man  was  utterly  broken  down. 
They  had  reached  Ilala ;  and  as  he  could  go 
no  further,  his  followers  built  a  hut,  and  laid 
him  beneath  its  shade.  The  next  day  he 
lay  quiet,  and  asked  a  few  questions.     On 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  309 

the  following  morning  (4th  May,  1873), 
when  his  boys  looked  in  at  dawn,  his  candle 
was  still  burning;  and  Livingstone  was 
kneeling  by  the  bed,  with  his  face  buried  in 
his  hands  upon  the  pillow.  He  was  dead  ! 
and  he  had  died  upon  his  knees,  praying, 
no  doubt,  as  was  his  wont,  for  all  he  loved, 
and  for  that  dear  land  to  which  he  had 
devoted  three-and-thirty  years  of  his 
laborious  life  ! 

And  that  desolate  band  of  followers 
whom  he  left  behind,  what  a  marvellous 
proof  they  gave  of  his  influence  over  them, 
and  of  their  deep  attachment  to  him  !  They 
resolved  to  carry  his  remains  to  Zanzibar, 
and  give  them  up  to  his  countrymen ;  and 
so  they  embalmed  the  body,  and  reverently 
laid  his  heart,  and  all  that  could  not  be 
removed,  in  a  Christian  grave.  Jacob 
Wainright,  one  of  the  Nassik  boys,  read  the 
burial  service,  and  carved  an  inscription  on 
the  mvula  tree  that  overhung  the  spot. 
And  then  began  such  a  nine  months'  march 
as  the  world  had  never  witnessed,  whilst 
these  sons  of  Ham  carried  the  body  of  their 


3IO  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

loved  master  to  the  coast ;  braving-  all  risks ; 
flinging  aside  all  prejudices ;  at  times  fight- 
ing their  way  through  hostile  tribes  ;  at  others 
succeeding  in  carrying  out  their  plan  by 
stratagem,  but  never  desisting  from  their 
labour  of  love  until  they  gave  up  their 
sacred  charge  into  the  hands  of  the  English 
consul.  Well  might  they  say  as  they  sur- 
rendered their  precious  burden  : — 

"  Where  will  ye  lay  the  form  that  enshrined 
Daring  so  glorious  and  valour  so  kind  ? 
Where  shall  be  rest  for  the  vigorous  hand, 
Hush  for  the  brain  that  made  weariness  grand  ? 

"  Meeter  to  rest  'mid  the  tombs  of  the  kings, 
Ne'er  shall  be  poet  that  soars  as  he  sings  ; 
Warrior  that  stormeth  the  newly-made  breach, 
Martyr  that  suffers,  or  mind  that  may  teach. 

"  Lay  him  to  rest  where  ye  will,  he  is  ours  ! 
Strew  on  his  hearse  of  Eternity's  flowers. 
Bear  him,  O  ship,  from  the  deserts  he  trod ; 
Waft  him,  O  Death,  to  the  garden  of  God  !  " 

Livingstone  had  once  come  upon  a  native 
grave,  not  very  far  from  the  place  where  he 
himself  was  destined  to  die ;  it  was  a  little 
rounded    mound,    with    blue    beads   strewn 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  311 

Upon  it,  and  with  a  little  path  beside  it, 
plainly  showing  that  it  had  visitors.  "  This 
is  the  sort  of  grave,"  he  writes,  "  I  should 
prefer ;  to  lie  in  the  still,  still  forest,  and 
no  hand  ever  to  disturb  my  bones ;  .  .  . 
but  I  have  nothing  to  do  but  wait  till  He 
who  is  over  all  decides  where  I  have  to  lay 
me  down  and  die.  Poor  Mary  lies  on 
Shupanga  brae,  and  '  beeks  foment  the 
sun.'  " 

But  God  so  ordered  it,  and  the  love  and 
admiration  of  a  mighty  nation  so  desired 
it,  that  he  should  lie  in  a  nobler  sepulchre. 
And  so  the  doors  of  Westminster  Abbey 
were  opened  for  perhaps  the  most  striking 
funeral  that  ever  crossed  its  threshold; 
and  as  the  anthem  pealed  through  the  stately 
aisles,  they  laid  him  down  to  sleep  amongst 
the  mighty  and  the  great,  and  princely  hands 
cast  wreaths  of  flowers  upon  his  coffin,  and 
men  of  every  class  and  creed  bowed  down 
their  heads  and  worshipped  ;  and  some  were 
there  who,  twelve  years  before,  had  helped 
him  to  lay  Ma  Robert  in  her  lone  and  distant 
grave  ;  and  he  was  there  who  had  found  the 


312  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

long-lost  missionary,  and  rescued  him  from 
death ;  and  one  was  there,  more  moved 
than  all  the  rest — that  swarthy  son  of  Africa, 
who  now  helped  to  bear  his  pall,  but  who 
had  nursed  him  gently  in  his  sickness,  and 
who  had  laid  his  loving  heart  to  rest 
amongst  the  people  for  whom  he  had  lived 
and  died. 

It  was  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  the 
nation  that  a  missionary  hero  was  thus 
honoured.  Shall  we  say  that  this  was 
so  because  such  men  have  usually  died  at 
their  distant  posts  ?  or  was  it  rather  be- 
cause we  were  all  too  slow  at  home  to 
recognize  their  bravery  and  their  worth  ? 
Whatever  be  the  reason,  one  thing  is  beyond 
dispute,  that  no  one  ever  obtained  this 
distinguishing  honour  at  the  hands  of 
Englishmen  who  was  better  entitled  to 
receive  it,  and  that  the  whole  civilized  world 
has  endorsed  their  tribute  of  admiration. 

There  is  a  well-known  journal  which  is 
the  representative  of  our  national  wit  and 
humour;  but  which,  when  it  condescends 
to   be   grave,    never    fails  of    being    both 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  313 

touching-  and  sublime.  Within  a  border 
of  the  deepest  mourning  it  set  forth  the 
following  lines  on  the  sad  occasion ;  they 
are  worthy  of  their  theme,  and  form  a 
suitable  conclusion  to  this  brief  record  of 
a  noble  life : — ■ 

"  Droop  half-mast  colours ;  bow,  bareheaded  crowds, 
As  this  plain  coffin  o'er  the  side  is  slung. 
To  pass  by  woods  of  masts  and  ratlined  shrouds, 
As  erst  by  Afric's  trunks,  liana-hung. 

"  'Tis  the  last  mile  of  many  thousands  trod 
With  failing  strength,  but  never-failing  will, 
By  the  worn  frame,  now  at  its  rest  with  God, 
That  never  rested  from  its  fight  with  ill. 

"  Or  if  the  ache  of  travel  and  of  toil 

Would  sometimes  wring  a  short,  sharp  cry  of  pain 
From  agony  of  fever,  blain,  and  boil, 

'Twas  but  to  crush  it  down,  and  on  again  ! 

"  He  knew  not  that  the  trumpet  he  had  blown 
Out  of  the  darkness  of  that  dismal  land, 
Had  reached  and  roused  an  army  of  its  own 

To  strike  the  chains  from  the  slave's  fettered  hand. 

•'  Now  we  believe  he  knows,  sees  all  is  well ; 

How  God  had  stayed  his  will  and  shaped  his  way, 
To  bring  the  light  to  those  that  darkling  dwell 
With  gains  that  life's  devotion  well  repay. 


314        HEROES  OF  THE  MISSION  FIELD. 

"  Open  the  Abbey  doors,  and  bear  him  in 

To  sleep  with  king  and  statesman,  chief  and  sage, 
The  Missionary  come  of  weaver-kin, 

But  great  by  work  that  brooks  no  lower  wage. 

"  He  needs  no  epitaph  to  guard  a  name 

Which  men  shall  prize  while  worthy  work  is  known ; 
He  lived  and  died  for  good — be  this  his  fame : 
Let  marble  crumble  :  this  is  Living-stone 


XII 

BISHOP  PATTESON.    MELANESIA,  1855— 1871. 

Those  who  remember  the  "  Eton  Montem," 
that  grandest  of  all  school  festivals,  will  re- 
call the  brilliancy  of  the  annual  pageant, 
when  lords  and  ladles  of  high  degree  came 
down  from  London  to  witness  the  proces- 
sion of  enthusiastic  students,  as  it  made  its 
boisterous  way  to  Salt  Hill,  In  order  to 
collect  the  accustomed  votive  offerings  for 
the  captain  of  the  college.  Brilliant,  how- 
ever, as  the  "Montem"  was  at  all  times, 
that  of  1838  surpassed  all  that  went  before 
it.  Queen  Victoria,  who  had  recently  as- 
cended the  throne  of  her  ancestors,  had  come 
from  her  kingly  residence  at  Windsor  to 
grace  the  scene  with  her  presence.  The 
Eton  boys  were  beside  themselves  with  ex- 
citement, and  crowded  around  the  royal  car- 


3i6  MODERN  HEROES   OF 

riage  with  vociferous  and  tumultuous  loyalty. 
One  of  them,  a  brave,  impetuous  youth  of 
eleven  years  of  age,  became  entangled  in  the 
wheels,  and  was  on  the  point  of  being 
dragged  under  them,  when,  with  that  pre- 
sence of  mind  which  has  since  so  often  dis- 
tinguished her,  the  youthful  Queen  stretched 
out  her  hand  to  the  falling  boy.  He  grasped 
it,  recovered  his  footing,  and  was  saved. 
Before,  however,  he  could  regain  his  self- 
possession,  the  royal  cortege  had  moved  on, 
and  left  him  no  opportunity  for  expressing 
his  gratitude  to  his  deliverer. 

Thirty-four  years  afterwards,  the  same 
illustrious  Sovereign,  when  opening  her  Im- 
perial Parliament,  made  a  touching  allusion 
to  "the  murder  of  an  exemplary  prelate"  in 
the  South  Sea  Islands,  and  urged  upon  her 
senators  the  duty  of  adopting  measures  for 
the  suppression  of  that  nefarious  practice  of 
labour-stealing  which  had  led  to  his  death. 
She  had  rescued  that  noble  missionary 
bishop,  when  he  was  yet  a  boy,  from  what 
might  have  been  instant  death ;  and  she 
mourned  for  him  now  as  one  of  that  "  noble 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  317 

army  of  martyrs"  who  had  laid  down  their 
lives  for  the  cause  of  Christ  in  distant  lands. 

It  was  a  "  new  thing  in  the  earth  "  to  hear 
a  missionary  spoken  of  with  admiration  in 
a  royal  speech ;  but  Bishop  Patteson  de- 
served the  mention,  not  merely  on  account 
of  his  heroic  end,  but  still  more  on  account 
of  his  heroic  life. 

The  son  of  one  English  judge,  and  the 
nephew  of  another,  he  was  born  to  ease, 
affluence,  and  honour,  but  was  led  to  re- 
nounce them  all  for  the  work  of  God  among 
the  heathen.  The  earlier  missionaries  of 
this  century,  with  scarcely  an  exception,  had 
sprung  from  the  lower  ranks  of  society,  but 
the  time  had  come  when  the  noble  and  the 
great  were  to  consider  themselves  honoured 
by  following  in  their  steps.  Three  years 
had  elapsed  since  his  memorable  escape,  and 
Coley  Patteson,  as  his  comrades  loved  to 
call  him,  went  with  several  other  Etonians 
to  hear  Bishop  Selwyn  preach  to  his  old 
flock  at  Windsor.  This  great  missionary 
prelate  had  just  been  consecrated  to  his  New 
Zealand  see,  and  was  infusing  something  of 


31 8  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

his  own  enthusiasm  into  the  hearts  of  all  who 
heard  him.  In  a  letter  to  his  mother,  Pat- 
teson  records  his  impressions  of  the  sermon : 
"  It  was  beautiful  when  he  talked  of  his 
going-  out  to  found  a  church,  and  then  to  die, 
neglected  and  forgotten :  all  the  people 
burst  out  crying ;  he  was  so  very  much 
beloved  by  his  parishioners.  He  spoke  of 
his  perils,  and  of  putting  his  trust  in  God  ; 
and  then,  when  he  had  finished,  I  think  I 
never  heard  anything  like  the  sensation  ;  a 
kind  of  feeling  that  if  it  had  not  been  on  so 
sacred  a  spot,  all  would  have  exclaimed, 
*  God  bless  him!'" 

It  was  not  the  first  time  that  Coley  Pat- 
teson  had  heard  of  missions.  Nurtured  in 
the  bosom  of  a  Christian  family,  he  had  al- 
ready not  only  resolved  to  devote  his  own 
life  to  the  ministry  of  the  Gospel  at  home, 
but  had  begun  to  take  a  decided  interest 
in  the  work  of  missions  abroad.  This  ser- 
mon, however,  and  an  incident  which  fol- 
lowed it,  gave  a  new  direction  to  his  choice. 
Bishop  Selwyn  came  to  take  leave  of  the 
Pattesons,   with   whom   he  had   long  been 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  319 

intimate,  and  in  doing  so  he  said  to  Lady 
Patteson,  half  in  play  and  half  in  earnest, 
"  Will  you  give  me  Coley?  "  The  question 
startled  the  fond  mother,  and  she  made  no 
reply  at  the  time ;  but  when  the  boy  told 
her  that  "  the  one  grand  wish  of  his  heart 
was  to  go  with  the  bishop,"  she  replied  that 
if  that  continued  to  be  his  wish  when  he 
grew  up,  she  would  give  him  both  her  con- 
sent and  her  blessing.  Alas!  she  only  lived 
a  year,  and  did  not  see  the  fruit  of  that  re- 
quest and  of  that  promise.  But  she  had 
taught  him  to  read  his  Bible  at  five  years 
old,  and  it  was  that  very  Bible  which  was 
afterwards  placed  in  his  hands  at  his  conse- 
cration. 

No  boy  was  more  popular  at  Eton  than 
Coley  Patteson.  He  was  decidedly  clever, 
but  inclined  to  be  idle.  When  he  chose  to 
put  forth  his  powers,  he  was  successful.  He 
was  full  of  fun  and  frolic,  but  always  dis- 
tinguished for  his  courage  and  patience. 
Famous  at  cricket,  he  was  beloved  as  captain 
of  the  eleven.  He  could  handle  an  oar  as 
dexterously  as  any  one  upon  the  river,  and 


320  MODERN  HEROES   OF 

he  was  a  perfect  expert  in  the  art  of  swim- 
ming. He  Httle  knew  how  well  these  manly 
exercises  were  fitting  him  for  future  service 
in  a  higher  sphere.  During  all  his  schoolboy 
life  he  maintained  a  noble  consistency.  At 
one  of  the  annual  dinners  given  at  Slough, 
by  **  the  eleven  "  of  cricket  and  '*  the  eight  " 
of  the  boats,  one  of  the  boys  began  to  sing 
an  objectionable  song,  and  Coley  instantly 
called  out,  "  If  that  does  not  stop,  I  shall 
leave  the  room,"  This  remonstrance  being 
unheeded,  he  took  his  departure,  followed  by 
some  others  as  brave  as  himself.  Nor  was 
this  all ;  he  sent  back  word  that  unless  an 
apology  were  made  *'  he  would  leave  the 
eleven,"  a  threat  which  soon  brought  the 
offender  to  his  senses,  and  made  his  com- 
panions feel  that  Patteson's  consistency  was 
not  to  be  trifled  with.  He  left  school  with- 
out "  sting  or  stain,"  and  his  father  wrote 
him  a  letter  on  the  occasion,  in  which  he 
attributes  his  son's  blameless  career  to  the 
assistance  of  God's  Holy  Spirit,  and  to  the 
pious  instruction  which  he  had  received  from 
the  best  of  mothers. 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  321 

His  college  life  at   Oxford  tended  to  de- 
velop his  character.     He  refused  to  join  the 
eleven     because     he     feared    cricket   would 
prove   his    tyrant,    and   he  had  resolved  to 
work.     He  induced  the  young  men  at  Balliol 
to  give  up  their  dessert  in  order  to  aid  the 
sufferers    in    the    Irish  famine.     He    distin- 
guished himself  as  a  scholar,  and  especially 
as  a  linguist ;  became  a  fellow  of  Merton  in 
1852,  and  was  soon  remarkable  as  a  college 
reformer.       Too    pure    for    party,    and   too 
steady  to  be  moved   by  any  gusts  of  false 
doctrine,  he   maintained   his    religious  con- 
victions unimpaired,  and  his  attachment  to 
his  own  Church  unshaken,  amidst  surround- 
ing agitation   and  defection.     There  was  a 
reserve,  and  yet  a  charm  in  his  manner ;  a 
spirit   of  introspection,    which,    as  his   bio- 
grapher puts  it,  was  at  once  his  strength  and 
his  danger ;  a  love  for   all  things  beautiful, 
coupled  with  a  strong  and  sensible  attach- 
ment  to   what   was    practical    and    useful. 
After  obtaining  his  fellowship  he  spent  five 
years   in  foreign  travel ;  and  Professor  Max 
Miiller,  speaking  of  him  in  reference  to  this 

21 


322  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

period,  says,  "  I  saw  him  last  at  Dresden  in 
1853,  revelling  in  the  treasures  of  ancient 
Italian  art,  working  hard  at  Hebrew,  Arabic, 
and  German,  and  delighting  in  all  that  the 
best  minds  of  modern  Europe  could  supply 
in  literature,  science,  and  art.  I  then 
thought  I  saw  in  him  the  future  accom- 
plished dean  or  bishop  ;  but  when  I  heard  of 
him  next,  his  letters  were  dated  '  longitude  ' 
and  '  latitude,'  from  some  unknown  island  in 
the  Pacific  Ocean." 

He  was  ordained  for  a  charming  parish, 
situated  near  his  father's  beautiful  resi- 
dence in  Devonshire,  and  he  had  before 
him  every  prospect  of  an  honourable  and 
happy  career  in  the  midst  of  friends  and  rela- 
tives ;  but  before  a  year  had  passed  by,  the 
Bishop  of  New  Zealand,  who  had  come  to 
England  to  look  for  helpers  in  his  work,  was 
on  a  visit  at  Sir  John  Coleridge  Patteson's, 
and  the  old  fascination,  which  twelve  years 
before  had  been  so  strong  upon  the  boy 
when  he  heard  the  Bishop  preach  at 
Windsor,  came  back  upon  the  young  curate 
with  a  still  stronger  power  as  he  walked  and 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  323 

talked  with  the  man  who  had  been  so  long 
the  object  of  his  admiration.  That  visit  and 
those  conversations  set  the  seal  upon  his 
determination.  He  opened  his  heart  to  his 
father,  and  he,  "with  the  fullest  sense 
of  his  own  loss,  yet  with  the  most  unhesi- 
tating heartiness,  gave  up  one  who  was 
dearer  to  him  than  life.  No  father  and 
son  could  be  more  tenderly  attached ;  none 
could  feel  separation  more  sensibly;  but 
neither  wavered  for  an  instant  in  his  reso- 
lution." Sir  John,  writing  to  the  Bishop 
at  the  time,  says,  "  If  he  prove  an  effec- 
tual instrument  in  New  Zealand — as  I  heartily 
pray  Him  he  may  be  found — I  shall  feel 
that  I  have  in  some  sort  made  a  present 
of  him  to  the  work  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
and  that  it  is  a  blessed  thing  to  have  done 
so."  There  is  something  exquisitely  tender 
in  the  record  of  Patteson's  departure  from 
the  parental  home.  The  last  farewells  had 
been  spoken  ;  the  last  kisses  had  been 
given  ;  the  sisters  watched  him  till  he  had 
disappeared  from  sight,  and  then  returned, 
to  find  their  venerable  father  sitting  silently 


324  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

over  his  Bible.  Meanwhile  the  brother 
whom  they  loved  so  well  had  turned  aside 
into  the  churchyard,  picked  a  few  early 
primroses  from  his  mother's  grave,  ^^  and 
then  walked  on  !  "  He  had  put  his  hand  to 
the  plough,  and  he  never  looked  back. 

He  embarked  with  Bishop  Selwyn  in 
the  spring  of  1855,  ^"<^  reached  New  Zea- 
land in  July.  During  the  voyage  he  made 
such  progress  in  the  art  of  navigation,  that 
he  felt  as  much  at  home  with  a  quadrant 
in  his  hand  as  of  old  with  a  cricket-bat,  and 
acquired  such  facility  in  speaking  the  Maori 
tongue  that,  on  his  arrival,  one  of  the  senior 
clergy  was  asked  the  not  very  complimen- 
tary question,  "  why  he  did  not  speak  like 
Te  Patehana  (Patteson)."  His  own  special 
mission  was  to  be  in  the  Melanesian  islands, 
which  lie  near  the  equator,  and  are  peopled 
by  a  race  less  intelligent,  but  more  steady, 
than  the  Polynesians.  They  had  no  ele- 
ments of  civilization,  and  scarcely  any  ideas 
of  religion,  through  which  they  could  be 
influenced.  They  enjoyed  a  very  unpleasant 
reputation  for  cannibalism,  and  were  styled 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  325 

"  the  irreclaimable  savages."  They  spoke, 
moreover,  throughout  their  vast  archipelago, 
such  an  infinite  variety  of  dialects,  that  it 
was  humorously  observed  "  they  must  have 
come  straight  from  the  tower  of  Babel,  and 
gone  on  dividing  their  speech  ever  since." 

He  spent  the  first  five  years  of  his  mis- 
sionary life  in  making  voyages,  in  company 
with  Bishop  Selwyn,  amongst  these  islanders, 
and  then  returning  to  the  missionary  college, 
where  their  training  school  was  held.  Their 
plan  of  operation  was  to  induce  the  natives  to 
give  up  some  of  their  youths  for  instruction, 
and  then  to  bring  the  latter  to  New  Zealand, 
where  they  remained  under  Christian  teach- 
ing until  the  winter-time  approached,  when 
it  became  necessary  to  carry  them  home 
to  their  own  more  genial  climate.  The 
islanders  soon  learned  to  place  confidence  in 
the  missionaries  ;  and  as  each  year  brought 
back  a  number  of  the  youths  with  their 
glowing  and  grateful  accounts  of  the  treat- 
ment which  they  had  received,  fresh  pupils 
were  continually  offering,  and  many  of  the 
old  ones  willingly  returned  to  complete  their 


326  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

Christian  education.  It  was  no  uncommon 
thing  to  see  the  Bishop  and  Patteson,  as 
they  approached  one  of  these  reef-sur- 
rounded islands,  take  off  their  coats,  and 
fastening  some  hatchets  or  other  gifts  upon 
their  backs,  take  a  good  header  into  the  surf, 
and  swim  ashore.  We  can  picture  them  to 
ourselves  as  they  go  through  the  ceremony 
of  rubbing  noses  with  the  natives  by  way 
of  greeting;  then  the  entering  into  friendly 
communication  with  them,  and  eventually 
departing  with  a  precious  freight  of  "  raw 
material,"  in  the  shape  of  swarthy  boys,  to 
be  worked  up  by  means  of  kindly  teaching 
into  hopeful  pupils,  and  brought  back  in 
due  time  to  spread  abroad  amongst  their 
countrymen  the  knowledge  which  they  had 
received. 

The  time  had  now  arrived  when  the 
Melanesian  Mission  was  to  be  entirely  sur- 
rendered to  the  care  of  Patteson,  and  when, 
in  order  to  this,  he  was  to  be  made  a  chief 
pastor.  Bishop  Selwyn  had  trained  him  to 
his  work,  and  gives  the  following  graphic 
description  of  his  singular  fitness  for  it :  *'  I 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  327 

wish  you  could  see  him  in  the  midst  of  his 
thirty-eight  scholars  at  Kohimarama,  with 
eighteen  dialects  buzzing  round  him,  with  a 
cheerful  look  and  a  cheerful  word  for  every 
one,  teaching  ABC  with  as  much  gusto  as  if 
they  were  the  x  y  z  o{  some  deep  problem  ; 
or  marshalling  a  field  of  dark  cricketers  as 
if  he  were  still  the  captain  of  the  eleven 
at  Eton ;  and  when  school  and  play  are 
over,  conducting  his  polyglot  service  in  the 
mission  chapel."  His  amazing  power  as 
a  philologist  stood  him  in  good  stead,  and 
with  a  skill  second  only  to  that  of  Mezzo- 
fanti,  he  reduced  to  system  and  to  grammar 
between  thirty  and  forty  of  those  hitherto 
unknown  languages. 

He  was  set  apart  to  his  high  office  in  St. 
Paul's  Church  at  Auckland,  on  the  24th  of 
February,  1861.  The  consecration  was  not 
by  royal  mandate,  for  the  Anglican  Church 
was  now  beginning  to  extend  its  episcopate 
beyond  the  British  dominions;  but  there  were 
other  incidents  which  gave  their  own  pecu- 
liar impressiveness  to  the  scene.  Selwyn 
was  there  to  lay  his  hands  upon  the  head  of 


328  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

the  beloved  pupil,  whose  young  enthusiasm 
he  had  been  the  first  to  kindle.  A  Maori 
deacon  was  there,  and  several  native 
teachers  with  their  wives,  to  represent  the 
new-born  church.  Ten  of  the  island  boys 
were  there  to  witness  and  to  rejoice  in  the 
consecration  of  their  revered  instructor ; 
one  of  them,  Tagalana,  like  a  living  lectern, 
held  the  book  from  which  the  chief  prelate 
read ;  and  the  Bible  which  was  delivered 
into  the  hands  of  the  new  Bishop  as  the 
symbol  of  his  office  and  the  guide  for  his 
work,  was  the  very  same  which  had  been 
given  him  on  his  fifth  birthday,  with  his 
father's  love  and  blessing.  One  who  wit- 
nessed the  ceremony  observed  that  Patteson, 
clad  in  his  quaint  rochet,  "  reminded  her 
of  some  young  knight  watching  his  armour, 
as  he  stood  in  his  calm  steadfastness  and 
answered  the  questions  put  to  him  by  the 
Primate." 

His  own  feelings  proved  him  worthy  of 
his  office.  "I  don't  suppose,"  he  writes, 
**  that  I  realize  it  yet ;  but  I  shall  have  to 
learn  what  it  is  to  be  a  bishop  by  the  trials 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  329 

and  anxieties  which  will  come.  God  will 
doubtless  give  strength  If  I  seek  It  aright ; 
but  here  is  the  point — I  need  the  prayers  of 
you  all.  .  .  .  And  now  to  me  it  Is  permitted 
to  hold  up  the  weak,  heal  the  sick,  bind  up 
the  broken,  '  bring  agam  the  outcasts^  seek  the 
lost ' — those  wonderful,  beautiful  words. 
How  I  held  tight  the  Bible  my  dear  father 
gave  me  on  my  fifth  birthday  with  both 
hands  !  and  the  bishop  held  it  tight,  too, 
as  he  gave  me  the  charge  in  the  name  of 
Christ,  and  I  saw  in  spirit  the  multitudes 
of  Melanesia  scattered  as  sheep  amidst  a 
thousand  isles."  It  may  be  mentioned  here 
that  he  had  already  arranged  with  his  father 
that  his  own  share  of  the  paternal  irfherl- 
tance  should  go  to  his  beloved  mission ;  and 
on  hearing  what  the  amount  of  it  was  to 
be,  he  writes :  "  Hard  enough  you  worked, 
my  dear  father,  to  leave  your  children  so 
well  off.  .  .  .  My  children  now  dwell  In  two 
hundred  islands,  and  will  need  all  that  I  can 
give  them.  God  grant  that  the  day  may 
come  when  many  of  them  may  understand 
these    thIngS;,    and    rise    up   to   call    your 


330  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

memory  blessed  !  "  The  father  lived  to 
hear  of  his  son's  consecration,  and  to  rejoice 
in  it ;  but  within  four  brief  months  from  that 
event  he  was  called  away,  and  the  best  of 
sons  had  to  mourn  for  the  best  of  fathers. 
To  tell  the  story  of  that  too  brief  episco- 
pate would  be  to  recount  the  perils  and  the 
labours  of  ten  such  arduous,  yet  happy 
years  as  have  seldom  fallen  to  the  lot  of 
man.  "  In  perils  of  waters,"  as  he  navi- 
gated his  Southern  Cj^oss  from  isle  to  isle 
throughout  what  has  been  happily  called 
his  '*  ocean  see;  "  "  in  perils  by  the 
heathen,"  as  ever  and  anon  he  landed  on 
some  coral  reef  in  the  presence  of  naked 
and  armed  savages;  "in  weariness  and  pain- 
fulness,"  as  he  endured  the  hardships  and 
the  diseases  which  were  inseparable  from 
a  life  like  his;  in  "watchings  often,"  as  he 
tended  his  sick  and  swarthy  pupils  through 
the  lonely  nights,  with  all  the  skill  of  a 
nurse,  and  all  the  tenderness  of  a  parent, 
he  realized  to  the  minds  of  men  the  ideal 
of  an  apostolic  missionary,  and  did  much 
to  restore  its  true  character  to  the  much- 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  331 

ill-used  and  often  merely  conventional  title 
of  "Bishop." 

What  a  sight  it  must  have  been  to  see 
him  standing  up  in  his  boat  as  he  approached 
some  hitherto  unvisited  island,  extending 
his  arms  to  show  the  suspicious  warriors 
on  the  shore  that  he  carried  no  weapons, 
then  plunging  half-naked  into  the  sea,  and 
swimming  to  the  land  amidst  the  wonder 
of  the  awe-struck  savages !  The  very- 
boldness  of  Patteson  was  oftentimes  his 
safety.  Who  could  bend  a  bow  or  hurl  a 
spear  against  a  man  so  trustful  and  so 
brave  ?  And  when  it  happened,  as  it  often 
did,  that  in  their  suspicion  or  their  fear  they 
pointed  an  arrow  at  him,  it  was  his  custom 
to  look  the  archer  in  the  face,  with  that 
bright  and  sunny  smile  which  seldom  failed 
to  restore  confidence,  or  to  disarm  hostility. 

His  principal  missionary  college  for  train- 
ing youths  was  eventually  established  at 
Norfolk  Island.  It  was  more  convenient  for 
his  work,  and  its  more  genial  climate  ren- 
dered unnecessary  the  return  of  the  pupils, 
during    the    winter    months,    to    their   own 


332  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

homes.  It  was  here  that  the  love  and  the 
labour  of  the  missionary  prelate  found  their 
chief  employ.  "  I  am  so  accustomed,"  he 
writes,  "  to  sleeping  anywhere,  that  I  take 
little  or  no  account  of  thirty,  forty,  fifty  naked 
fellows,  lying,  sitting,  sleeping  around  me. 
Some  one  brings  me  a  native  mat,  some  one 
else  a  bit  of  yam  ;  a  third  brings  a  cocoa-nut  ; 
so  I  get  my  supper,  put  down  the  mat  (like 
a  very  thin  door  mat)  on  the  earth,  roll  up 
my  coat  for  a  pillow,  and  make  a  very  good 
night  of  it."  He  was  never  so  happy  as 
amongst  his  boys  or  his  books ;  and  the 
former  were  so  fond  of  him  that  they  would 
steal  into  his  humble  study  of  ten  feet 
square,  just  for  the  pleasure  of  being  near 
him,  and  of  getting  now  and  then  a  gentle 
word  or  a  lovinsr  smile.  He  threw  himself 
with  all  his  old  Etonian  enthusiasm,  into  their 
games  and  sports ;  he  tried  to  make  them  all 
as  joyous  as  himself;  he  loved  to  hear  their 
merry  uproar  when  he  started  them  upon  a 
race,  or  sent  up  for  them  a  fire-balloon. 

How  his  heart  yearned  over  them  as  he 
taught   them   the  way  to   heaven,  and  saw 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  333 

in  one  or  another  the  first  strivings  of  the 
Spirit  of  God ;  how  lovingly  and  anxiously 
he  fanned  the  first  sparks  of  spiritual  life 
in.  their  hearts,  and  how  wisely  and  gently 
he  dealt  with  all  their  religious  difficulties  ; 
how  gladly  he  admitted  them,  with  more 
than  a  father's  love,  to  the  sacred  font, 
and  yet  how  cautious  he  was  not  to  pro- 
stitute the  sacrament  of  baptism  into  an 
idle  form :  "  I  can't  baptize  people  morally 
good,  who  don't  know  the  name  into  which 
they  are  baptized.  .  .  .  To  say  the  word,  '  I 
believe,'  without  a  notion  of  what  they 
believe,  surely  that  won't  do.  They  must 
be  taught,  and  then  baptized  according  to 
our  Lord's  command,  suited  for  adults." 

His  sorest  trials  were  connected  with  the 
death  of  some  of  the  boys  whom  he  loved 
so  well.  What  a  proof  it  was  of  mutual 
affection  when  one  of  them  said  with  his 
dying  breath,  "  Kiss  me.  Bishop."  But 
there  was  not  merely  the  pain  of  parting 
from  them,  and  the  loss  which  the  mission 
sustained  by  their  removal ;  there  was  also 
the  difficulty  of  breaking  the  sad  news  to 


334  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

their  heathen  parents,  and  the  danger  of 
incurring-  the  ignorant  resentment  of  the 
islanders,  and  thus  preventing  fresh  supplies 
of  pupils.  On  one  occasion  a  boy  died  at 
the  college,  and  he  belonged  to  an  island 
the  language  of  which  Patteson  had  not 
yet  fully  mastered.  What  was  he  to  do  ? 
Would  he  avoid  that  island  in  his  next 
voyage,  or  would  he  go  there,  and  run  the 
risk  of  not  being  able  to  exculpate  himself? 
He  determined  on  the  latter  course.  He 
landed  on  the  island,  sought  out  the  father 
of  the  boy,  and  took  him  by  the  hand.  The 
tribe  gathered  inquiringly  around,  and 
watched  and  listened,  as  partly  by  words 
and  partly  by  gestures  the  Bishop  began 
to  tell  his  tale.  He  described  the  lad's 
illness,  and  taking  a  child  that  stood  near, 
laid  him  gently  on  the  ground,  and  hung 
over  him,  and  kissed  him  to  express  his 
love.  Then  the  Bishop  gasped  for  breath, 
and  closed  his  eyes,  to  show  the  progress 
and  issue  of  the  disease  ;  and  then  he  wept 
over  the  child  as  it  lay  before  him,  to  show 
them  how  he  felt  when  the  boy  was  dead. 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  33^ 

Never  was  the  progress  of  a  drama  watched 
with  such  intense  interest  as  that.  When 
it  came  to  the  crisis  of  the  child's  death, 
the  warriors  grasped  their  weapons ;  but 
when  they  looked  on  the  white  man's  face, 
and  beheld  his  undissembled  tears,  they 
believed  him,  and  felt  that  he  was  their 
friend  : — "  It  is  all  well.  Bishop ;  he  died 
well.  You  did  all  you  could.  Bishop ; 
it   is  all  well." 

No  marvel  that  the  work  of  such  a  man 
should  be  successful.  At  the  end  of  1870, 
he  could  report  that  at  Norfolk  Island  there 
were  180  Melanesians,  of  whom  62  had 
been  baptized,  and  12  more  were  prepar- 
ing for  that  ordinance.  These  youths 
proved  their  sincerity  by  voluntarily  pro- 
posing to  go  to  other  islands,  where  the 
dialect  was  like  their  own,  and  to  under- 
take missionary  work.  In  1871,  the 
Southern  Cross  brought  back  twenty-nine 
native  Christians  to  settle  in  their  own 
homes,  and  at  the  end  of  that  year  there 
were  more  than  300  Christians  living 
amongst    their  own    friends,  and    diffusing 


336  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

amongst  them  the  blessed  truths  which 
they  had  themselves  received.  They  were 
representatives  of  nearly  all  the  islands  that 
stretch  from  the  "New  Hebrides"  to  the 
"Solomon  Group,"  and  cover  nine  degrees 
of  latitude.  One  of  the  most  remarkable 
of  Patteson's  boys  was  George  Sarawia. 
He  belonged  to  Vanua  Lava,  one  of  the 
Banks'  Islands,  and,  while  yet  a  child,  had 
scrambled  of  his  own  accord  into  the 
Bishop's  boat.  He  was  the  first  Melanesian 
admitted  to  holy  orders  (1868),  and  was 
stationed  by  the  Bishop  on  the  island  of 
Mota.  In  that  infant  church  this  native 
pastor  baptized  293  persons,  and  carried 
on  beside  a  most  successful  work  in  the 
neighbouring  islands. 

But  we  must  come  to  the  terrible  tragedy 
which  took  away  the  head  of  the  mission 
to  his  great  reward.  About  the  year  1869, 
the  demand  for  labourers  in  Queensland 
and  Fiji  had  led  the  captains  of  trading 
vessels  to  cajole  the  natives  of  the  Mela- 
nesian islands  on  board  their  ships,  and 
then,    thrusting    them    under    the    hatches, 


THE^  MISSION  FIELD.  337 

to  carry  them  off  to  the  distant  scene  of  their 
enforced  labour.  In  several  instances, 
terrible  reprisals  had  been  inflicted  by  the 
natives  upon  English  crews  for  this  nefarious 
conduct.  Again  and  again  pathetic  appeals 
were  made  to  the  Bishop  to  try  and  get 
them  back  their  friends  who  had  been 
thus  stolen  away,  and  again  and  again 
he  had  appealed  to  the  authorities  to  put 
down  this  horrible  traffic.  But  still  it  went 
on,  and,  infamous  to  relate,  Patteson's 
influence  with  the  Islanders  was  fraudu- 
lently employed  to  push  the  abominable 
trade.  Sometimes  the  captains  of  these 
"kill-kill"  vessels,  as  the  natives  called 
them,  would  pretend  that,  as  he  could  not 
come  himself,  he  had  sent  their  ships  to  fetch 
the  islanders ;  sometimes  they  would  paint 
them  to  resemble  the  Soitthcrfi  Cross ;  and 
there  Is  reason  to  believe  that  on  some  occa- 
sions the  sailors  dressed  up  on  deck  a  clerical 
figure  with  book  In  hand,  to  represent  the 
Bishop,  in  order  to  inveigle  the  unsuspect- 
ing natives  on  board.  Deeds  like  these 
had  awakened  apprehensions,  both  at  home 


338  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

and  in  the  mission,  for  the  Bishop's  safety ; 
and  the  sequel  proved  that  they  were  not 
unfounded. 

It  was  on  the  20th  September,  1871,  that 
the  missionary  schooner  stood  off  the  island 
of  Nekapu,  not  far  from  Santa  Cruz.  The 
Bishop  had  frequently  landed  here  before, 
and  it  was  only  in  the  previous  year  that 
he  had  been  kindly  welcomed  by  the  inhabit- 
ants. Some  canoes  lay  off  the  island, 
but  the  people  did  not  come  out  to  meet 
him  as  on  previous  occasions,  and  this 
was  looked  upon  as  strange ;  but  the  good 
Bishop,  fearing  nothing,  got  into  a  boat  with 
Mr.  Aitken  and  three  native  Christian 
youths,  and  pushed  off  through  the  blue 
waters  for  the  coral  strand.  On  reaching 
the  reef,  it  was  found  that  the  tide  was 
too  low  to  allow  of  the  boat  crossing  it ;  so 
the  Bishop  got  into  one  of  the  canoes,  along 
with  two  chiefs  who  had  been  always  friendly 
to  him.  The  boat's  crew  could  not  follow, 
but  they  saw  the  Bishop  land,  and  then  he 
was  lost  to  sight. 

Suddenly  a  man    stood  up  in  one  of  the 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  339 

canoes,  and  shot  an  arrow  Into  the  boat, 
crying  out,  "  Have  you  anything  like  this?" 
A  shower  of  arrows  followed  from  the  other 
canoes,  and  before  the  boat's  crew  could 
pull  her  out  of  range,  three  of  them  had 
been  wounded,  two  of  them,  as  it  after- 
wards proved,  mortally.  They  made  the 
best  of  their  way  to  the  ship,  and  when 
the  tide  began  to  rise,  sent  back  the  boat 
in  search  of  the  Bishop.  The  boatmen 
crossed  the  reef,  and  saw  the  canoe  drifting 
towards  them.  As  they  neared  it,  a  yell 
of  triumph  rose  from  the  shore.  The  boat 
came  alongside,  and  two  words  passed  from 
lip  to  lip — "The  body!"  There  it  lay, 
beneath  a  native  mat,  but  stripped  of  its 
clothing.  The  face  bore  no  trace  of  agony, 
but  wore  its  own  sweet  smile  of  love. 
There  were  five  wounds — no  more ;  and 
the  frond  of  a  cocoa-nut  palm  was  fastened 
on  the  lifeless  breast,  with  five  knots  on 
the  long  green  leaves.  It  was  all  uncon- 
sciously that  his  murderers  had  adopted  for 
him  the  emblem  of  Christian  victory;  but 
it  was  not  difficult  to  discover  the  meaning 


340  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

which  they  had  themselves  attached  to  their 
symbol.  Five  men  had  been  lately  stolen 
from  Nekapu,  and  the  untutored  savages 
had  taken  vengeance  upon  the  first  white 
man  who  fell  into  their  hands ;  probably  with 
the  full  belief,  for  reasons  already  alluded  to, 
that  he  was  accessory  to  the  wrong. 

It  is  remarkacle  that  not  long  before,  in 
his  appeal  to  the  Provincial  Synod  of  New 
Zealand,  this  noble-minded  Bishop  had  said  : 
*'  I  desire  to  protest  by  anticipation  against 
any  punishment  being  inflicted  on  the 
natives  of  these  islands  who  may  cut  off 
vessels  or  kill  boats'  crews,  until  it  is  clearly 
shown  that  these  are  not  done  in  the  way 
of  retribution  for  outrages  first  committed 
by  white  men.  ...  It  is  not  difficult  to 
find  an  answer  to  the  question,  *  Who  is 
the  savage  and  who  is  the  heathen  man  ? '  " 

Alas  !  that  one  of  the  noblest  of  mission- 
aries should  be  the  victim  of  the  treachery 
and  deceit  practised,  by  his  own  country- 
men, upon  people  for  whom  he  would 
willingly  have  laid  down  his  life.  This  con- 
solation   remains — his   death    called   public 


THE  MISSION  FIELD.  341 

attention  to  the  evils  which  were  the  cause  of 
it,  and  his  work  survived  him.  Several  of 
those  whom  he  evangelized  are  now  ordained 
as  Christian  ministers ;  the  truth  of  the 
Gospel  has  won  its  way  amongst  the  people 
for  whom  he  lived  and  died ;  and  another 
Selwyn,  son  of  that  missionary  prelate  who 
enlisted  Patteson  in  the  Melanesian  field, 
has  succeeded  the  martyred  Bishop  in  the 
government  of  the  Melanesian  Church. 

And  so  we  close  our  sketches  of  modern 
missionary  heroes  with  the  record  of  one 
who  was  second  to  none  of  them  in  the 
lofty  bravery  of  Christian  faith,  or  the 
grand  devotedness  of  Christian  love.  "  To 
have  known  such  a  man,"  writes  Max 
Muller,  "  is  one  of  life's  greatest  blessings. 
In  his  life  of  purity,  unselfishness,  devotion 
to  man,  and  faith  in  a  higher  world,  those 
who  have  eyes  to  see  may  read  the  best, 
the  most  real  Imitatio  Christi.  In  his  death, 
following  so  closely  on  his  prayer  for  the 
forgiveness  of  his  enemies — '  for  they  know 
not  what  they  do  ' — we  have  witnessed  once 
more  a  truly  Christlike  death." 


542  MODERN  HEROES  OF 

How  will  ye  mourn  the  warrior,  that  fell  as  warrior  ought  ? 
How  praise  the  hero  that  hath  found  the  glorious  meed  he 

sought  ? 
Ah  !  drop  no  tear  upon  the  page  that  burns  beneath  his 

name — 
Breathe  never  sigh,  but  raise  your  song  to  notes  of  proud 

acclaim  ! 

How  shall  we  name  thee  ? — as  a  Knight  of  ancient  line 

and  true, 
That  kept  his  Knighthood's  vigils,  and  all  its  training 

knew. 
That  look'd  on  all  the  world  could  give,  and  scorn'd  its 

ease  like  dross, 
To  bear  the  foremost  banner  in  the  Battle  of  the  Cross  ? 

How  shall  we  think  of  thee  ? — as  one  who  dared  the  winds 

and  waves. 
On  Heaven's  sublime  discovery,  and  brake  men's  living 

graves  ; 
Whose  mighty  mind  in  patience  turn'd  its  wide  linguistic 

lore 
To  wake  the  first  Te  Deum  on  a  Melanesian  shore  ? 

Ah  !  no,  thy  style  and  title  owns  a  bearing  far  more  bright, 
For  Martyr   is  a   grander  name   than  hero,  sage,  or 

knight. 
The  lofty  joy  was  thine,  afar  upon  the  wilds  to  trace 
The  Mastei's  life!  and  loftiest  souls  wear  still  the  lowliest 

grace. 


THE   MISSION  FIELD.  343 

An  oarless  boat  is  floating  witiiin  the  wide  lagoon — 

It  holds  a  strange,  dark,  silent  mass,  that  ye  will  know  too 

soon. 
No  soul  is  there,  and  from  the  lips  there  comes  no  voice 

of  prayer. 
Row,  row  beneath  the  Southern  Cross,  with  the  burden 

ye  must  bear ; 

And  lay  your  Bishop  on  the  deck,  and  look  your  last,  nor 

weep — 
There  will  be  time  enough  for  tears  when  ye  give  him  to 

the  deep. 
Smooth  out  the  blood-stained  vestment's  fold,  with  the 

reverent  touch  of  love. 
And  think  upon  the  Ci"own  of  Thorns  that  won  our  crown 

above ! 

Leave  him  in  rest !  no  hope  forlorn  was  that  his  Saviour 

led, 
Whose   love   is   deeper  than    the  sea  that  shrouds  His 

sainted  dead; 
Whose  mysteries  of  grace  sublime  transcend  time's  little 

loss, 
And  all  our  pain,  with  all  our  sin,  we  lay  beneath  His  Cross. 

Yet  mourn  ye  must ;  but  mourn  as  those  who  look'd  on 

Stephen's  smile. 
And  closed  the  e}'es  that  saw  the  Lord  beyond  death's 

awful  aisle. 
Rouse !  by  that  vision,  rouse  !  for  love  and  shame  of  heart, 

to  pray 
That    He   who  gifted  such   a  soul  would  quicken  ours 

to-day. 


344       HEROES  OF  THE  MISSION  FIELD. 

O  Crowns  of  all  the  martyrs  !  O  Lives  of  all  the  saints  ! 

O  Choir  of  Christ's  redeembd  hosts !  your  noblest  anthein 
faints, 

Your  bravest  light  but  sparkles  dim  before  the  glory  due 

To  Him  who  bought  you  with  His  blood,  and  gave  Him- 
self for  you  !  * 

*  These  lines,  as  well  as  those  upon  Livingstone  at  page  310,  are 
from  the  pen  of  Mrs.  Alessie  Faussett. 


Hazell,  Watson>  and  Viney,  Printers,  London  and  Aylesbury. 


BY  THE  RIGHT  REV.  W.  PAKENHAM  WALSH,  D.D., 

Bisliop  o/Ossory,  Ferns,  and  Leighliu. 


Eleventh  Edition,  with  Illustrations  and  Maps,  15., 
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THE   MOABITE    STONE, 

Erected  by  Mesha,  King  of  Moab,  960  B.C. 
Discovered  at  Dibon,  A.D.  1868. 

TWO  LECTURES. 

"  Many  will  thank  Mr.  Walsh  for  gathering  into  these  pages  a  very 
vaUiable  and  instructive  essay  on  this,  the  latest  and  most  valuable  archaeo- 
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Old  Testament  Scripture." — /ris/i  Ecclesiastical  Gazette. 


II. 

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